Naruto & the Last Airbender
by EroSlackerMicha
Summary: Killed during the chunin exam, Naruto is given a second chance, to act as the Guardian for the Avatar in a different world. Naruto/Katara Aang/Toph will the Avatar's journey be easier with a protector or harder. Naruto/Avatar x-over
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Avatar, if I did, that would like be major boo-ku points.

I started this one the same time I started He Said, She Said, there are a few differences and changes. I decided after playing "Naruto Broken Bonds" and "Avatar Into the Inferno" to dust it off and try it out once again.

Chapter 1

"Here, that the scroll and leave us alone." Shouted Sasuke.

"Ku, ku, ku…" The strange Grass nin chuckled. The hand that was waiting to catch the scroll that Sasuke had tossed was secondary as the strange nin was suddenly struck by a rock.

They all looked up and saw Naruto standing on a higher branch, a very pissed off look on his face. He leapt from the branch to put himself between his team and the nin, his normally laughing blue eyes were a cold as steel and slit in the center like a cats. He managed to catch the Heaven scroll that Sasuke threw.

"Sorry I'm late, something tried to eat me that I didn't agree with." He said. A relieved look graced Sakura's face. He then looked at Sasuke. "What the hell do you think you're doing asshole?" Naruto said his voice rising.

"He was more powerful than we are, I had no choice!" the usually stoic Uchiha yelled.

"And what color is the sky in your world you dumb bastard that made you think he was just going to let you go after you gave him our damned scroll?" Naruto shouted right back.

"Ku, ku, ku. Very observant of you Uzumaki…" the Grass nin said, her voice becoming more raspy and masculine. "So, my little pet didn't finish you off. I must admit, thought, you did take me by surprise. You've impressed me Naruto-kun. I'm quite surprised to see your still standing after taking on a summon of that size."

Naruto snarled. "You'll find I'm just full of surprises freakazoid!"

The Grass nin chuckled some more. "Perhaps you'll entertain me more than the so called Uchiha prodigy. Be warned little genin, no matter how good you think you are, I am far above your level of skill. After all, I am one of the Legendary Sannin. I am Orochimaru." The nin finally introduced himself to Naruto and his teammates.

"I don't care if you were Kami herself." Naruto shouted. "I will not let you harm my friends and teammates!"

Orochimaru watched as the blond in front of him began to change. He saw Naruto's nails elongate into claws, his whisker marks widened and his canine teeth became more pronounced, while his spiky hairstyle became even more wild and untamed. He saw the slit like blue eyes turn blood red. The boy crouched low and let out low, but menacing growl.

"You are the Yondaime's Legacy, aren't you Naruto-kun? It doesn't matter, you are nothing compared to my power." Orochimaru started to chuckle again.

Sasuke and Sakura could feel the killing intent coming from their blond teammate. Orochimaru's was enough to freeze them in place and make them feel helpless, but with Naruto's added, it was overwhelming, Sakura was on her stomach from the force of it and looking like she was about to throw up. Sasuke was on his knees shaking, both Genin were trying to back away from the force they were feeling.

Naruto looked over his shoulder from where he was crouched his voice was rough, "What's the matter asshole? You scared?" he said to Sasuke.

Orochimaru used that second of distraction to attack. "MULTI-HIDDEN SHADOW SNAKE HAND!" He shouted, his eagerness to finish off the blond making him feel like a Genin himself at the moment.

Sasuke barely managed to dodge the dozens of snakes that shot out of Orochimaru's sleeves, some of them dripping poison that dripped onto the branch, staining it black where the venom landed.

Naruto seemed to vanish in a blur, only to reappear above the snakes, which he started to run down their length.

Orochimaru had a shocked look on his face as Naruto sliced his face to shreds with his claws.

However, Naruto's victory was short lived as the Sannin and his snakes turned to mud.

"FUCK!" Naruto cursed. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he managed to jump out of the way as a gigantic snake, even bigger than the one that had tried to eat him earlier, attacked him.

"IS THIS ALL YOU GOT FREAKAZOID?" He yelled as he stood in front of the snake, his clawed hands clenching as he prepared to fight in a moments notice.

The snake however turned and went straight for the frozen Sasuke, who could only watch in horror as the giant serpent came at him, its fangs dripping with venom that would guarantee instant death for anything smaller than it.

Naruto growled and appeared between them once more, his fist impacting with the side of its head, snapping it away from its target and impacted with a tree before vanishing in a puff of smoke. Naruto glared at Sasuke. "Why are you just kneeling there, coward? Get the fuck up and fight you pussy!"

Sasuke glared at Naruto, but it had the same effect as water hitting a window, because all he could do was stand there and tremble in fear. "Why aren't you even trying?" Naruto hissed at him as he cocked his fist back and slugged the kneeling Sasuke in the face. "SNAP OUT OF IT ASSHOLE!!!"

Sasuke was angry. He was angry first at Orochimaru for attacking them and reducing him to a pathetic weakling with just killing intent. He was angry towards Naruto, because everything he'd said was true, and he was most of all angry at himself for being weak, and a coward. It was how he'd acted back when Itachi had slaughtered their family. Standing there and shaking like a leaf in a hurricane and there was nothing he could do.

Sakura could only watch the battle taking place before her, it was beyond anything she could do and anything they should be able to do as a team, yet her eyes watched as Naruto, not Sasuke was fighting off a legendary Sannin by himself. And it looked like the one they all dismissed as dead last was winning.

"You are definitely interesting character Naruto-kun. But I cannot allow you to interfere any further with my plans. Not even with the power of the nine-tail can you stand up to my power." Orochimaru said reappearing.

Naruto growled. "Big mistake Freak-bastard!" Naruto leapt at him and the two were blurs of motion, the only thing marking their passing to the naked eye was destruction of several trees and branches that broke or developed gouges.

XX

_If it weren't for the blasted Kyuubi, I'd make his body my next vessel rather than the Uchiha's._ Orochimaru thought to himself as he was forced to avoid the claw swipes from the blond.

Naruto smirked seeing Orochimaru's look of irritation mixed with surprise and fear as he kept him on the offensive and away from Sasuke.

"Heh, scared Freakazoid?" Naruto snarled as he kicked, swiped and did his best to tear the Sannin's face off. The blond was breathing heavy at this point.

Orochimaru seeing an opening with his years of experience, he opened his mouth and stretched his tongue out and wrapped it around Naruto's ankle and flipped him into the air.

Naruto however was ready and came down with a kick to the face for the Sannin.

"Damn brat!" Orochimaru snarled as he straightened his nose. _I have to end this. He's getting his second wind._ Orochimaru knew that he would have to use the seal he'd been saving for someone else. _Damn Kyuubi brats stronger than reports indicated._

Orochimaru used the Shadow Snake hand at point blank range and snagged the blond, lifting him into the air before him.

The blond struggled and kicked with all his might, but could not get loose. Orochimaru noticed the seal on Naruto's stomach around his naval as his shirt lifted as he struggled. Opening his right hand, small purple flames appeared on each of the Snake Sannin's fingers. "This will hurt you more than me I'm afraid." The Sannin said and rammed his palm into Naruto's gut, the fingers spaced adding the five star seal to the eight star seal. Unlucky thirteen.

The blond's scream of pain filled the forest all over everyone heard his pain. Orochimaru smirked, then looked concerned as the seals glowed and began to twist and merge in a way he never thought about. He didn't get to study it longer as he tossed Naruto aside seconds before Naruto was surrounded by red and blue chakra that were merging and swirling like a vortex.

Sakura looked on as her teammate went into a fetal position and then…

Naruto Uzumaki, Genin of Konoha the Village Hidden in the Leaves exploded.

XX

(Void)

"Where the fuck am I?"

Naruto's question was answered via a smack to the back of the head. He turned around and saw a woman with long red hair in a kimono, her ears sticking out ended in points and she had nine fox tails wagging behind her.

"Watch your mouth young man." She said, her blue eyes blazing.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto demanded. "And I'll speak however I please, you're not my mother."

The woman who looked like she was going to explode at the first part of his statement, deflated at the last.

"I am." She said softly.

"What?" Naruto demanded.

"Your mother." The red head said.

"Yeah, right. You're…whatever. You have foxtails growing out your butt."

A laugh and Naruto turned to see a face he'd seen all his life, a face he decorated several times. The face of his hero, the Yondaime Hokage.

"I think he's missing a ton of information." The taller blond said to the foxtail woman.

"Naruto…look at you." The Yondaime said. "You've grown so much since I last saw you. You were a baby when…" the Yondaime looked away and sighed.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked finally.

"The Yondaime Hokage, the person who sealed the Kyuubi in me on the day I was born to protect Konoha from the nine tailed demon." Naruto said and he noticed both people wince.

"D…Did Hiruzen ever tell you about your parents?" the Yondaime asked.

"Who?" Naruto asked in return.

"The Third Hokage. Hiruzen Sarutobi." The Yondaime said.

"The old man." The foxtail woman said.

"Oh. No, he told me I was an orphan and didn't know who my family was. Hell he didn't tell me I carried the Kyuubi, that was Mizuki-teme after I failed my Genin exam and he tricked me into steal the forbidden scroll for him with the promise I would pass if I learned a jutsu from it."

The pair exchanged a look. This was not going as they thought it would. "What happened?" the Yondaime asked.

Naruto grinned. "I learned the Kage Bunshin before he and Iruka-sensei caught up to me. It was then that I learned about the Kyuubi, about why the entire village hates and despises me."

The Yondaime looked upset at this.

"The old man supported my making Genin for learning a Jonin level ability in less than three hours."

The Yondaime smiled as did the fox-tailed woman.

"So, what happened that you ended up here?" the Yondaime asked.

"I was with my team taking the Chunin exam…"

"Wait, you made Genin three months ago and you're in the Chunin exam? What idiot would let barely trained Genin into such a dangerous exam?" The foxtail woman asked.

"Um, Kakashi-sensei recommended us for…"

"KAKASHI!" They both yelled. "I am so going to kick his ass the next time I see him. Your student…" the woman said jabbing the Yondaime in the chest.

Naruto looked at the pair. The Yondaime looked like his pictures and the monument, but the woman…there was something about her, familiar that Naruto couldn't place.

The Yondaime managed to calm the fox woman and looked at Naruto. "So, you were in the Chunin exams, and what next?"

"Well I passed the first part with a blank test. It seemed like the scary guy, Ibiki was seeing how everyone could do at gathering information, but since I didn't do anything, but I didn't get caught I managed to pass." Naruto admitted. "The second part of the exam was held in the forest with the tower. The psycho instructor lady said we had five days to get the other scroll from another team and get to the tower."

Naruto sighed. "We ran into trouble with some pale freak that was wearing another person's face and smelled like snakes. I tried to fight him, but…"

The woman spoke up. "You entered a berserker state. You tapped into m…the Kyuubi's power and managed to fight him off, until he did something."

Naruto nodded to her. "Yeah, he did something funny to the seal where the Kyuubi is, all five of his fingers were glowing."

Naruto lifted up his shirt and blinked. "Wait. The seal is gone!" He looked at the Yondaime.

"Its okay." The Yondaime says after a bit. "You…" he looked at the woman who let a tear fall and the former Hokage's voice became choked. "You don't have to worry about the seal ever again."

"Why?"

The fox-tailed woman stepped up and pulled him into a hug as more tears slipped from his face.

"You died." She whispered.

XX

In the void time had no meaning. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours or days before the woman released him and he stopped shaking at hearing that he died.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why what?" The Yondaime asked.

"Why has my life been shit? Why did nobody love me? Why did that snake freak kill me? Why…"

Naruto started shaking and the fox-tailed woman hugged him again and as sobs ripped from the blond, her tails wrapped around him and she looked at the former Hokage.

The Hokage took several steps forward and reached out, hesitantly before resting it on the younger blonds hair.

"I wish I could answer those questions. I asked that you be seen as a hero before I died. I asked Hiruzen and your godfather to look after you."

"God…godfather? I didn't have anyone except the Old man, and after the orphanage threw me out when I was five he got me an apartment of my own."

The former Hokage looked angry and sad at the same time.

"It will okay Naruto-kun. I promise." The woman said hugging him tighter.

"Kushina." The Yondaime said.

"No." she said and her eyes looked at him. "Fix this!" she hissed.

"I…I don't know if I can." The Yondaime said hesitantly.

"Find a way. I don't care what you have to do Minato, fix this." She hissed, her voice getting a growl in at the end.

He nodded and entered the mists leaving the woman and Naruto alone.

"Why do you care?" the blond asked.

"Because I care for you Naruto. If I have to storm the gates of Heaven, then I will. But what's happened to you isn't right.

"No, its not." She let go and turned to face the new voice.

"Avatar Roku."

"Hello Kushina." The man steps forward. Naruto feels like he's with the old man as he looks at the man that Kushina called Avatar Roku.

"Who do we have here?" Roku asks kindly.

"This is Naruto Uzumaki…he's my son." Kushina says.

XX

(Konoha)

Hiruzen Sarutobi looks at the closed casket, the picture of the smiling blond brings a tear to the old man's eye.

When word had reached him that Orochimaru was in the forest he sent Anbu into the forest, in hopes they could keep him contained. They came upon the remains of Team 7. Sakura was a sobbing mess, The Uchiha was in a coma, the power of Orochimaru's mark had left him a blank slate. And Naruto…

The Hokage had been sick at finding the boy's body destroyed. The Anbu escort had been sick at the mess the body had been in. Both the boys head and stomach had been destroyed.

Sarutobi looked and sighed at the lack of people that had come for the funeral for Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. Son of Minato Namikaze, the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha, the famous "Yellow Flash" and Kushina Uzumaki, the Kyuubi no Kitsune, Guardian Beast of the land of Fire.

Hiruzen saw Teuchi Ichiraku and his daughter Ayame, both had tears. The old ramen chef had brought an empty bowl and chopsticks, putting them on the coffin, before leading his daughter to their seats, the waitress was sobbing so hard that she was having trouble standing.

Next came Iruka Umino. The Chunin laid his hitai-ate on the coffin and looked shaken at the death of Naruto.

The Hokage saw Izumo and Kotetsu, the eternal Chunin as Naruto had dubbed them came next. They were subdued and the Hokage knew they missed the blond that they had shared laughs with while chasing him after his pranks.

Yugao Uzuki and Gekko Hayate were next. Both wore somber looks as both had once been part of Naruto's guard.

Last was Hinata Hyuga with her sensei. The young girl went to her knees before the sealed casket and sobbed.

The Hokage was not pleased that Kakashi had not cared about his dead student. A student they had learned died protecting his team.

The sky as if sensing the Hokage's mood began to rain, as if the heavens themselves were crying for the dead boy.

The Hokage went last and placed his hand on the coffin. "I hope you find the peace you were denied in this life in your next." He looked at the photo. "I know I will miss you and I pray you can forgive an old man."

A crack of thunder was his answer as the sky darkened. Naruto was being buried as a Chunin, his name, his full name was being added to the memorial stone.

"You died protecting your teammates…I for one do not think they are worth it." The Hokage said thinking of the Haruno girl who was so broken by what she had seen, had been admitted to the care of the Yamanaka mind healers. Sasuke Uchiha was in a reserved room in the hospital, scores of doctors watching over him. And Kakashi Hatake, who sat outside the Uchiha's room, not caring about his other two students.

_Please Kami, smile upon the soul of this boy. Grant him love and your kindness._ The Hokage thought as lightening flashed across the sky.

**AN: Next chapter Roku and Naruto speak and Kushina plots.**

**There will be no further scenes from Konoha. This was it for there. Only the void, the spirit world and world of Avatar from now on.**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Avatar, if I did, that would like be major boo-ku points.

AN: Sorry about the delay, dad had a stroke, helping my folks. Postings will be sporadic for now.

Chapter 2

(The Void)

"My…mother…" Naruto looked at her. "You said that before."

"Its true. I am your mother." Kushina said. She reached out and brushed his bangs aside. "My little maelstrom…" the look in her eyes, the love, the caring. For Naruto it was an alien look, one he'd never seen before, but at the same time it pulled at him.

Kushina looked at Avatar Roku. "What bring you here?"

The man smiled warmly. "I came with something that might help us both."

Kushina looked at him. "And that would be?"

"Join me?" he asked and motioned for them to follow.

Kushina sighed and with Naruto followed Roku to a table with a tea setting for three.

"Avatar Roku, I'm not known for my patience, please get to the point." As the man worked on pouring the tea and presenting them to Kushina and Naruto who kneeled across from him.

"Patience is a virtue and one should always acquire." Roku said as he let his tea cool a bit and looked at the pair. "I know you haven't had much of a chance to talk with, Naruto, and time in the Void is fluid. I offer a chance for him to return to life."

Kushina looked at him. Naruto asked. "And how would you do that?"

"Your body would be created in my world, there I ask of you to become the protector of the current Avatar and help him on his quest."

Kushina growled.

"He would be reincarnated in his body, I've spoken with numerous deities and they agree to let this happen."

"Why?" Kushina asked. Getting one deity to agree to anything was hard enough, to get several to agree, there was something going on.

"The Kyuubi should never have been sealed as it was in this boy. While he is dead in his world, they can create his body in another. He amongst the souls that have arrived is truly an innocent. Even while he was starved, beaten and belittled, his one wish was to protect." Roku said.

Naruto was quiet. "How do you know?"

Roku smiled at him. The dead like to watch the living, those of that can walk the ghost roads view the world and watch the living. I have watched you Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. Son of Minato and Kushina. I have watched and I see not a dobe, or a dead last. I see a hero, one who gives his all."

"Roku." Kushina said with a growl.

"What happens if I decline? What if I accept?" Naruto asked.

Avatar Roku nodded. "Both good questions." He sipped his tea. "If you decline, then nothing. You will remain with your mother and father in the void. Neither heaven nor hell."  
"Why?" Naruto asked.

Roku sighed as Kushina looked away. "You despite your innocence are tainted. Not from holding the Kyuubi, but from your blood."

"My blood?"

Roku nodded. "Your not human Naruto. You are half demon, hanyou. Kitsune to be exact."

"Roku!" Kushina snapped.

"He has to know. You are his mother, you mean to say that the tails and ears mean nothing."

"Damn you Roku. I wanted to talk with him about it."

"Kushina, you'd hesitate. He's probably been wondering about the tails for a while." The Avatar said with a soft smile before he sipped his tea. "Drink your tea before it gets cold." He said.

She glared at the man who had been an Avatar.

"So…the villagers were right. I am a demon." Naruto said in a low voice, his head down, his bangs hiding his eyes.

"No. You are Naruto, my son." Kushina said. "You are a good person. Don't let the ignorant people tell you what you are." She said, remembering the hatred from the Uchiha when Minato announced he was marrying her.

"You are Naruto, that's what matters most." Kushina said.

Roku nodded. "If you accept." He said getting the blonds attention once more. "You will be awaken in my world, different, yet the same."

"In what ways?" Naruto asked.

Roku smiled and sipped his tea.

"You will have your kitsune abilities, enhanced senses, and your healing factor. These wer not from the Kyuubi, but an actual ability you were born with. The Kyuubi just enhanced it." The Avatar said giving Kushina a look.

"She probably was looking out for him." She mumbled.

"You will be given an ability to bend an element, Earth, Fire, Air, and Water." Roku said.

Kushina spoke up at this. "If Naruto is like his father I think airbending, if he's more like me…"

Roku smiled. "Hm, we'll see what he is later. But for now, he needs to spend time thinking about what he wishes to do, and learn about himself." The Avatar says. "I'll be in touch. Think about what you want young kitsune." The man vanishes.

Naruto looks at his mother and blinks.

Kushina looks at him and before she can speak, she is hugged by Naruto. "Kaa-san." He says over and over and Kushina prays, that whatever he learns, that he will still call her that in the future as her heart swelled hearing her son call her mom and holding onto her like it was all that mattered."

XX

(Elsewhere in the Void)

"Avatar Roku has spoken to your son."

"What?" Minato looks at the woman sitting while sewing on a tapestry.

"Your son is with his mother, and has accepted her."

"He knows?"

"He knows that Kushina is his mother, a kitsune, but he does not know the whole story. That is for you and your wife to explain to him." The woman said as she continued to sew.

Minato swallowed. "How will he react?"

The woman smiled. "That is the joy of parentage. You'll have to wait and see."

Minato Namikaze sighed. "So we can't send him back?"

"Not to your world, no." the woman said. "That is why The Avatar approached him. Your son can enter his world, I will create his body there."

"Milady…"

"No, yours and Kushina's story is done. Your time is past." The woman said looking up from her sewing. "Spend the time he has here to know him and train him. But know this, he won't remember you or his past life after he takes his new body."

Minato looked sad.

"He will remember it all when his death comes, but not until he's had a full life he was denied."

Minato nodded. They were losing him for a time, but he would make what memories he could with his son. "I'll teach him all I know and…"

"No." the woman said. "The only abilities he will carry over are his kitsune abilities along with his healing factor. I will send him a Bending master to teach him his elements."

"Wait…elements. You're not making him the next Avatar are you?"

"No. There is already an Avatar, but Naruto will be his friend and protector. Naruto will have three elements, as the Fates foretold."

Minato looked at the tapestry and his eyes widened.

"You should really learn how to sew Minato-kun, it's relaxing." The woman said. "Helps one focus their mind and helps with finger dexterity."

He swallowed. "Thank you milady."

She smiled. "I am not doing this for you. I am doing it for a boy who went to sleep tired, hungry and alone. I am doing it for an innocent that never was given love, but still loved."

Minato nodded. "C-Can you tell me…will he be happy?"

She stopped and looked at him. "He will know love, he will find his place. He will have friends. All this as well as adventure, excitement and adversity." She looked at him. "He will know pain and suffering and loss as well. But that is life. He will at least have a balance this time."

Minato nodded. "Thank you milady."

"Go spend time with your son. You have duties to perform still." She made a shooing motion and he vanished.

She spent another moment sewing before stopping and looking at what she was doing. "It will be interesting to watch, whatever happens."

XX

Minato paused as he came upon the laughing pair. Naruto was snuggled against Kushina as they sat on a couch, both were laughing and nearly had tears in their eyes.

"Oh my boy, I am proud of you." Kushina said.

"What did I miss?" Minato asked and both looked at him and started laughing. When they calmed down, Kushina explained.

"Naruto here on the day before graduation decided to test his sneaking skills and painted the Hokage Monument." She snickered.

Minato looked at Naruto with an eyebrow raised.

"Hey, it showed that security sucked and I did it in broad daylight wearing this outfit." Naruto said lifting his jacket away from his chest.

Minato shook his head.

"I heard you had a visitor while I was gone." Minato began.

Kushina nodded. "Later." She looked at Naruto. "I want to hear about my son some more."

Minato nodded and pulled up a chair from the void and sat down. His grin vanished when Kushina said, "And then I can tell you all the dumb boneheaded things your father did."

"Hey!"

Naruto grinned and Minato admitted it was similar to his, but it was more Kushina's. He studied the pair and even now he saw the similarities between mother and son. He noticed the slight tips to Naruto's ears, he saw the whisker marks were there and knew that it was part of his sons heritage.

_Take Roku's offer my son. The world needs your light and laughter._

Minato watched the pair and knew he would teach his son the Rasengan, it was his birthright. _And I don't care what Kami says, its something he has the right too._ Minato thought. He looked at his wife and sighed. They'd just been reunited after sixteen years apart.

_I won't tell Kushina about his memories until I have to. Let her be his mother now, she needs this as much as Naruto does._

Minato cursed his former village, and decided he'd speak with the Soul Reapers and ask if he could be the one to collect the souls from Konoha. He had a few choice words for the people he sacrificed his life, his son and his wife for.

But for now, they were a family.

**AN: Naruto learns his full heritage, his answer to Avatar Roku and what three elements will Naruto bend. Another chapter before we meet Aang and the others.**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Avatar, if I did, that would like be major boo-ku points.

Chapter 3

(The Void)

"GET BACK HERE!"

Naruto rushed past several startled souls, a huge grin on his face. Since his arrival in the void, three months had passed. He had changed in that his hair was longer, his ears were slightly pointed and he now sported a blond foxtail, which trailed behind him as he ran.

Behind him with nine tails flying behind her wildly was his mother, sopping wet.

"YOU LOOKED LIKE YOU WERE HOT!" Naruto shouted back over his shoulder.

In the time he'd been there, he learned that his mother was the Kyuubi, that it was the Uchiha clan who tried to kill her and him just after he'd been born and it had sent her into a rage. Minato had been forced to seal her away in their own child, as he would be the only one able to contain her with his hanyou heritage.

He found his father had a warped and perverted sense of humor, which he soon found out that his son had no patience for perverts.

Kushina was a prankster like Naruto and the two were often seen pulling pranks on many of the souls in the void.

Naruto dodged around a pair of bird like women that he learned were called Veela, a magical race from yet another world.

He grabbed a pole and shimmied up it till he reached a roof, before looking down.

"Now, mom, you have to admit…it was funny."

Kushina did admit, if it had been anyone but her. Kitsune were playful by nature and the last couple months she'd bonded with her son, teaching him kitsune magic that was his by right. Illusions were useful and she smiled thinking of some of the pranks they pulled.

"Come down here." She ordered.

"Not until you promise there will be no retribution." Naruto countered.

"Bargaining?" she asked with hands on hips and an eyebrow raised.

"Negotiations." Naruto said with a grin.

"Get down here. We need to clean up and meet your father." Kushina said.

"Promise?" Naruto asked and she smiled.

"Very well. I promise I won't retaliate for this…mistake."

Naruto nodded and leapt down.

One of Kushina's tails wrapped around him. Now that he knew who she was she revealed all her tails and was sharing everything about his heritage.

"I really didn't mean to hit you with that mom." He said as they walked. Many souls shaking their head at the pair as they passed.

Mother and son had developed a reputation in three months. The void knew the sound of laughter meant that the pair was near.

"How's your training going?" Kushina asked as they walked, her tails wrapping around Naruto's tail in a way as if holding hands.

"Pop was shocked I learned his Rasengan in less than three weeks. He keeps mumbling about how long it took him and some guy named Jiraiya."

Kushina laughed. "That's good. Your father gets a swelled head at times and he needs to be reminded he's not as clever as he believes."

The pair laughed as they walked. "So, your teacher…you've been very quiet about what elements you bend. I had to drag it out of your father that you have three."

Naruto smiled. "I don't want to hear it. Walking in on the two of you was bad enough, I really don't want to know what you two do as foreplay." He said making a face.

Kushina laughed. "We have been separated for a long time…"

"Nananananananananana!" Naruto said covering his ears. "I'm not listening."

Kushina hugged him to her and smiled. Minato told her that Naruto wouldn't get to remember the Rasengan, and finally told her that he would forget his past life, when he died he would get all his memories back and be with them again. She had to be held back from going after a certain deity when she heard her son wouldn't remember her.

(Flashback)

Minato grabbed her and pulled her into a hug. "Don't."

"But…"

"He'll remember his mother was a loving woman, who died to protect him." Minato said. "She told me that she will give him memories of us as his parents, but he won't remember his time here. I don't understand it, but I'm not a cosmic being with phenomenal powers."

(End Flashback)

"Mom?"

She blinked as Naruto's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry, I was wool gathering." She said. "What is it?"

Naruto pointed and she followed to see Minato in his black soul reaper outfit. He had a look on his face. She smiled seeing him, but paused seeing the figure next to her husband.

Naruto spoke up. "Ojii-san?"

XX

(Namikaze Home)

"Old man." Kushina said as they sat around the table. Naruto was looking at the old man.

"How?" Naruto asked.

"My former student. The same person who killed you killed me." Hiruzen said. "I was surprised when I expected the Shinigami and came face to face with Minato after I died."

"Orochimaru killed you, and you managed to seal his arms away." Minato said shaking his head. "Piss poor trade if you ask me."

One of Kushina's tails smacked him across the back of the head.

"Regardless." She said, "Your dead and the bastard who murdered my son is still around."

"And in a ton of pain." Hiruzen sighed. "I just couldn't last."

"He's using a forbidden jutsu to summon dead souls." Minato said. "We're going to have to do something. The Reapers are preparing something for him should he do it again."

Naruto looked at the clock. "Gotta go. Training." He kissed his mother on the cheek.

"Later pop! Later Ojii-san!"

The Third watched the blond go. He had been shocked seeing him with the pointed ears and foxtail rushed off.

"Training?" Hiruzen asked.

XX

"Master Roku?" Naruto asked as they took a break. "Why can't I tell mom and dad yet?"

The last Avatar smiled. "Wouldn't you rather show them what you learned when you have control, or would you rather flounder about like an untrained howler monkey?"

Naruto sighed. "Dad taught me the Rasengan, it was hard not to use my bending ability to do it."

Roku put a hand on his student's shoulder. "You are doing great."

Naruto sat. "Why did you tell me I wouldn't remember my time with my folks here?" Naruto asked as he was tracing in the dirt with his barefoot.

"I thought you had the right to make a fully informed decision. You'll have memories of your parents as if they raised you in the four nations, but they'll be dead there. You'll get your full memories back once you die and return here. It's just there, you won't have your past life. You won't remember being a ninja, you won't have any jutsu's. You having Kitsune abilities are going to be a big enough challenge. Add in your three bending abilities and you're going to be very tough as is. We don't want a super warrior, we want balance."

"And I won't have chakra…" Naruto said.

"No, you will have Chi." The Avatar said. "Its different. You'll understand it all before you go my boy."

Roku sighed. "I'm hoping that the current Avatar will be your friend. You both have so much to do." His eyes unfocused as if he was listening to something or someone, a smile formed on his lips.

"Soon you'll be placed in the world. You'll be there a bit before the current Avatar is found. When he is…" Roku smiled. "Anyways, I'm sure you'll both get along."

Naruto nodded. In his short time in the Void, he'd learned to listen when Avatar Roku spoke. He said a lot, but what he left unsaid was even more important.

"I hate cryptic." Naruto muttered.

Roku chuckled and patted him on the shoulder. "Back to training young guardian."

Naruto stood and slid into the Fox stance his mother had started drilling into his head and he was amazed how well it worked with his bending.

Roku of course had his style from his youth as a firebender.

The spar began and once more the surrounding landscape suffered as it was remodeled by the techniques of the two benders.

XX

(Elsewhere, the Void)

"Milady, may I present to you Hiruzen Sarutobi." Minato said.

They were in a garden, the woman that was above all smiled. "Hello little Saru." She said smiling.

The former Hokage bowed.

"Minato told you what will be happening with Naruto, yes?" she asked already knowing the answer, but letting the man before her gather his thoughts. It was more fun that way.

"He has…but…" Hiruzen said pausing. "Sending him alone…"

She smiled. "He won't be alone long. He will meet the Avatar and make friends quickly. Tell me former Third Hokage of Konoha, what would you do for him?"

"Anything." Sarutobi said with determination.

"And in so doing, you would cause more harm. Naruto needs this chance to grow up without being hated for what he is."  
"Minato says your sending him as a kitsune hanyou. Won't the people hate him?"

The woman smiled. "No. In the world Naruto will be going to, Kitsune's are a spiritual animal. They are currently extinct because they are seen as guides or guardians for the Avatar. The Fire Nation went out of their way to stop the coming of the Avatar and those who could help him. Naruto's arrival in the world will restart the balance. His descendants will be guides and guardians for future Avatars and the balance will be restored."

"What if he fails?" Hiruzen asked.

"Then the world will fall to darkness, and Naruto will return here to the void to be with his parents. I am not a cruel being."

"So Naruto is nothing more than a chess piece for you." The Hokage said and Minato winced as the Lady before them changed. Her visage darkened. "No life is a piece Hiruzen Sarutobi. All life is precious, even the life of your former student who killed you. I hope and pray that all life finds peace."

She turned away, calming. "Naruto is special, not just for his innocence. Not just because he is a kitsune child, the first born in a century." She looked at Minato who blushed.

"Naruto is not special for all the power he has or will have. What makes him special is his heart. His capacity to love and forgive." She turned and looked at Hiruzen. "Imagine Naruto if he'd turned out like your former student, backed by the power of the nine tails that he contained. Your village could have been responsible for the end of the world, but Naruto forgave time and time again. His love for you, an old man, and the pair at the ramen shop kept him going for so long. Then he added others and his heart swelled more, his capacity grew. He turned former enemies to friends and helped them find peace in death. Given time, he would have warmed the heart of everyone in your village and rose to become the greatest Hokage ever seen. All because his heart. So, no, I do not see Naruto as a chess piece. I see him as above and beyond all the games the various deities play. He's even turned some of them to his cause without even knowing it."

She looked at Minato. "His time in the void nears its end for now. Know it shall be quieter and a more drab place without him."

Minato nodded. He knew that many people in the void seemed lighter after meeting Naruto, many of the souls seemed lighter with the time around his son.

She looked at Sarutobi. "Find a place here Hiruzen. Find a viewing pool and watch both worlds."

"Will I be able to help him at all with the burden you are going to place on him?"

"No. As you watched his life in Konoha, you shall watch it amongst the four nations. Take solace Third Hokage. Your time in the void won't be long. You shall move on and know peace in heaven."

The Hokage thought of rejoining his wife and daughter. But his heart was weighing him down knowing that he could only watch once more as Naruto moved on to another adventure and he wouldn't even remember him.

Minato watched him go and looked at the Lady as she looked over the garden. "Why did you do that?"

"Because he was trying to think of ways to interfere. He had his chance, and failed at every turn. He will enter heaven knowing that Naruto grew up without interference and he didn't have a hand in anything that happens. Passive protection didn't work and your son suffered. Tell me Minato, who was crueler, I for allowing him to watch what will happen? Or him for failing to protect a child and stand up for him as he cried and bled many nights away on the streets of your village?"

Minato knew the answer, but refused to say it. He turned away and was a dozen paces away when she spoke. "Do not bring any more Konoha souls before me. You know their destinations. No more stopovers. They go to their proper places from now on."

Minato sighed. "Yes milady." He said and vanished into the mists of the void.

**AN: Naruto's elements are revealed and he says farewell to his parents and hello to…?????**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Avatar, if I did, that would like be major boo-ku points.

Chapter 4

(The Void)

"Avatar Roku."

The Avatar turned. "Minato, Kushina, welcome. Tea?" The aged firebender asked offering them a cup.

"No." Minato declined. He took his seat and allowed his wife to speak her mind.

"I wish to know what you've told my son." Kushina said after accepting the teacup from Roku.

"I've told him many things since his arrival, perhaps you could specify?" the Avatar inquired.

"Fine." Kushina said putting her tea down. "You've gotten him into going to the world where there is war, hasn't he done enough for several incarnations?"

Roku sighed. "What is this?" the older man asked and Kushina frowned. "My family's crest."

Roku nodded. "In my world, this was the crest of a group of Air Nomads. Now there is only one airbender left in the world, and he is still frozen."

Minato sat quietly for a moment. "You and the Lady have been secretive with your plans for our son." He began.

"I am sorry if it seems that way." Roku said with a soft shrug.

"Naruto has yet to tell us what element or elements he can bend." Kushina said. "I just want to help my son."

"As do I." Roku said sipping his tea. "His training with me is nearly done. I have never seen anyone who has such a thirst to learn and the sheer ability your son has makes me wish I was young again and the current Avatar."

Roku looked off to the void, where the village was getting larger over the years. "Your son has the potential to be the greatest Guardian ever."

"But he won't remember us." Kushina said and Roku finally saw her problem.

"He will recall you, your names, that you were loving parents. His memory will be modified in that his small village was destroyed and you both perished helping save the villagers."

Roku sipped his tea. "The Lady has decided that Naruto will be a kitsune, his ability to shift from his fox form to his current form won't be interfered with. The only thing your son is losing is his memories of his life in Konoha and his ninja abilities. He will think he grew up in the world, he's sent to."

"Will…will we be allowed to watch him?" Kushina had learned of Hiruzen's punishment and she worried.

Roku smiled. "Of course. And when his time comes and he returns here, his memories will be returned in full."

Kushina nodded, not fully happy but knowing that it could be worse.

Minato sighed. "Okay you old goat, what elements can Naruto bend?"

Roku smirked at this, before using his tea as an excuse to delay.

"Your son and I discussed this and we both thought it best that until he was secure in his skills they would remain hidden. Today is the day he was going to show you, so you can wait until he shows you."

Minato grumbled about meddlesome old men.

Kushina wasn't worried. Her son would be going as he was. A kitsune. She was happy at this.

_He's a handsome young kitsune. Perfect ears and his tail is something that should draw him a proper mate…_

Kushina paused in her thoughts of this. _Mate? What the hell am I thinking? _

She pondered this while Roku and Minato talked about other things, from Minato's duties to Roku awaiting the time for the Avatar to awaken and begin learning what he needed to do.

"Naruto's body is growing in the world and his soul will be placed in it and he will awaken at we figure a month or two before the awakening of the current Avatar."

Kushina blinked. "You're meddling." She said.

"I'm an old man, of course I meddle. I also play Pai sho, shogi and cards."

Kushina smirked. She knew that the Avatar was meddling, she just wondered on what else he had in store for her son that he was keeping close to his vest.

XX

(Arena, Void)

Kushina looked around the packed arena as many of the denizens of the void showed up for this demonstration.

"Old fool." She muttered as she saw her son entering the arena he was wearing his orange pants and a midnight blue mesh muscle shirt. She heard some of the Veela comment and smirked that the usual flighty half-birds/half-women were knowing what it felt like to want but not have.

Kushina frowned seeing Minato standing there across from her son with two others. One was a viera woman with soft brown fur. Kushina had nothing against the rabbit like women. _Lunch._ She thought after a moment and decided to make something special for Naruto after looking away from the woman.

The last figure was a dwarf with messy beard and battered armor. Kushina had seen him around the void. Tried talking to him, but the only thing it said was "Dorf!"

Avatar Roku appeared between Naruto and the three and he looked around giving a bow to the box where the Lady sat. She in turn bowed her head slightly and Roku spoke, his voice carried as if he was standing next to each person.

"Welcome one and all to today's event." He said to the gathered beings. "Today we are here for a demonstration of skill from my student, Naruto Namikaze as he shows his skill at elemental bending against three different beings." Roku motioned towards the three. "My volunteer's are Jo Dee from the Viera." Cheers went up and Kushina saw that many of the female rabbit women were in attendance and many males were drooling. _Men are pigs._ She thought with a hint of disgust.

"Dorf of the Wild Void." A smattering of applause for the dwarf who scratched his armpit and belched.

"And Naruto's father, Minato Namikaze!"

Kushina cheered for both her husband and son, some giving her an odd look; which she ignored as she was proud of whatever her son could do and her husband needed to be cheered as he was a strong mate and since their arrival to the void he'd been a good husband and caring father.

"This will be one on one, would Jo Dee and Naruto please remain while Minato and Dorf please step to the waiting area." Roku said and smiled as Naruto looked at the viera and nodded to her.

"You may begin." Roku said.

XX

Jo Dee was a hand-to-hand specialist and her attacks were powerful and she added that strange magical attacks her people were known for.

Naruto avoided the **Bolt** spell and spun low and tried for a leg sweep. She back flipped away and they both were on their feet.

Kushina watched and thus far Naruto hadn't used any bending, but she watched as the viera used several ice spells and the area was littered with chunks of ice that missed as Naruto moved quickly and she was glad he had his kitsune reflexes.

It was then that Kushina saw it. The ice melted, far too quickly and she watched her son take the stance of a waterbender and the melted ice was now water and he wore it like a blanket over his back and arms and before the viera could respond, Naruto was in motion slapping her around with a whip of water, then using it he wrapped it around her legs and pulled them out from under her.

The crowd was going wild as Naruto bound the viera in a water prison. She gasped and Roku counted and declared Naruto the winner. Naruto released the water prison and the water wrapped around his shoulders and upper arms like a shawl.

The crowd cheered and Kushina's voice carried over all of them. Even Minato cheered, but then he paused as he realized his son still had two elements to show.

_What have you been teaching my son Roku?_ Minato thought at the ease at which Naruto used the water attacks. If he was still a ninja, he knew that the nin of Kiri would be drooling at the attack his son did. _All without hand seals. That is one thing I envy the elemental benders of Roku's world. But they have restrictions as well. I just hope the old man prepared Naruto for the weaknesses as well._

"Would Dorf please come to the arena." Roku called and Minato winced that he would be going last.

The dwarf belched and passed gas before leaving and Minato winced and held his breath.

XX

"Dorf!" the dwarf said.

Naruto nodded. "Dorf indeed." He said and dodged as the dwarf belched a toxic cloud at him. Naruto flipped and dodged as Dorf the Dwarf belched more clouds. Naruto shook his head and leapt high in the air, putting his hands together he made a spiraling motion and everyone watched as a ball of air screamed from him and towards the dwarf.

It impacted with the force of a sledgehammer, and the dwarf staggered and looked at Naruto, then to the disgust of all farted hard, loud and long.

Several people in the lower stands were turning shades of green and waving hands in front of their faces to ward off the stench.

Kushina cursed having an enhanced sense of smell at this moment, and even as her eyes watered she saw Naruto whip up a tornado by spinning in the air and it soon engulfed Dorf the Dwarf who tried to dig into the arena floor, but Kushina saw as the vortex continued.

For nearly five minutes Naruto spun and when he slowed and landed she had to smile at seeing him stagger a bit. She turned her gaze to see Dorf buried to his belly in the ground and the disgusting little man shook it off like a dog shaking water from its back.

Naruto got his bearings and she watched as he held his hand and formed an Air Rasengan in the palm of his hand and rushed forward, the ball of air did the exact same thing that chakra powered one did and Kushina smiled as the dwarf went flying into the arena wall and actually thru it.

Roku counted ten and Naruto was declared the winner of the second fight.

Kushina got really nervous as Minato stepped out into the arena. He was wearing the garb he wore when he was alive and the Hokage. Kushina licked her lips at that and wondered if she could convince Naruto to stay with Roku tonight.

Her apprehension doubled when the match started the pair fought with taijutsu.

XX

_Shit!_ Minato thought and saw his son's fox like grin with the impact of his kick. Minato staggered back and looked at his son. "You're not going to go easy on your old man are you son?"

"Nope." Naruto said as he saw his father stretching his leg out to get feeling back into it.

Minato nodded and his hands flew through a series of seals and he spat a series of fireballs at his son.

Naruto used the water he still had and using a water whip smacked them aside.

Minato frowned as his son wasn't showing him anything new. He decided to up it and another series of seals and he sent a greater fireball.

Again, Naruto refused to show anything new as he used a wind ball to impact with it and stop it dead.

Minato formed a Rasengan and watched as Naruto formed an air Rasengan as well as water one.

"Show off." He muttered and he knew his son heard him as the grin increased. They charged and Minato sidestepped and kicked Naruto's arm with the water rasengan aside and his rasengan impacted the air one and they were blown back.

Minato landed shaking his head at the force of the explosion and he realized Naruto was laughing.

"Are you going to show your old man your last element?" Minato asked.

Naruto shrugged. "No." he grinned and Minato had to dodge water shaped kunai and wind whips.

He growled as he realized that his son was doing very well as he didn't have to form hand signs, and even with his one hand seals, he saw the advantage his son had.

Minato drew a three-pronged kunai and looked at his son. "Sorry, but I cheat." He said throwing it.

Before it impacted he watched his son go through the motions and a wall appeared between them, and Minato cursed. His son had realized the weakness of the Hiraishin. A thrown three-pronged kunai was a committed move.

Minato felt his body pulled into the jutsu and cursed as he knew he was going to be hurting after passing through the wall of lightening.

_Earth bending, figures._ Minato thought before slamming into the wall his son had created before sliding to the ground.

_I was right…it hurt._ Minato thought as he felt his bones break from the impact against the rock.

Roku counted and Minato was content not to move as his muscles and flesh mended. _Good thing I'm dead, cause it would take months instead of minutes._ Minato thought as he saw his son approaching.

"Earth bending." He said with a raised eyebrow.

Naruto grinned. "Sorry pop. Roku-sensei suggested I save it for you." Naruto pulled the kunai from the dirt and with control dissolved the earth barrier.

"Do you know the sub-elements you can bend?" Minato asked as the arena was clearing out.

"Yup." Naruto said and Minato knew he'd gotten lucky that his son only used the three mains.

Naruto was glomped by his mother who was hugging him.

"I'm so proud of you." She said.

"What about me?" Minato asked.

"Who are you again?" Kushina said with a teasing grin.

Minato pouted as he watched his wife praise their son, and he had to agree, he too was proud. _I just wish I didn't get pancaked like that. _He thought as Naruto absorbed his mother's attention.

XX

The day had arrived. Naruto stood between his parents as Master Roku approached. "Its time."

Naruto nodded and hugged his father who patted his back, and his mom glomped him once more. Her tail wrapped with his as she stroked his hair.

"I'll miss you so much. I wish I could go with you."

"Mom." Naruto hugged her and let her brush his hair. She still held him and looked at Roku.

"You better take good care of him Avatar Roku, or I will hunt you in the spirit world and not even the face thief will stop me from kicking your ass."

The Avatar nodded. "Your son will be fine. He is a strong bender and he will be surrounded by good people."

Kushina hugged Naruto again. "Be well, and know your father and I love you and will always be proud of you, even if you can't remember this, know that we love you."

Naruto nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat.

"I will mom." He hugged her tightly and pulled away.

He followed Roku and the Avatar led him through the mists.

They walked for hours it seemed, but in the void, who could tell as time was meaningless.

They stopped before a pool of water and Naruto saw the Lady. He gave her a bow and she smiled. She didn't say a word but leaned forward and kissed Naruto's forehead in a comforting gesture. She turned and left and Roku put a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Remember all you've learned, serve you well it will. You'll be found by friends. You can trust them, you'll know this instinctively as you'll forget the words and this place, but…"

"I know sensei. You don't need to say it." Naruto said. He looked at his teacher. "I will do my best to help the current Avatar to the best of my abilities."

"Remember Naruto, you are his Guardian, you are not his teacher, those he must search for. You'll know this as well when you awaken. You just won't remember your life as a ninja. You will grow up believing you grew up in my world."

Roku sighed. "I wish you well, it will seem hard at times, but your life will be good."

Naruto nodded as Roku's Avatar markings began to glow and the older man touched his head and Naruto felt his body becoming heavy and he felt as if he was sinking.

"Good luck, and when you and your mate get together, remember Roku is a good name for a child." The former Avatar said with a chuckle.

And then he was gone and Naruto felt cold.

XX

(Avatar Realm)

(Southern Continent)

Naruto shivered as he tried to walk in the snow. The wind was blowing and the falling snow was making it difficult to see more the a couple feet in front of him. His clothes were torn and burnt and he'd managed to escape the Fire Nation troops, his boat had gotten lost in the storm and he'd landed on an iceberg.

Shaking his head, his tail was wrapped around his midsection trying to keep him warm his mesh shirt was poor covering.

Making a decision he shifted becoming a fox, his fur with blond markings. Feeling a bit warmer with fur he padded over the snow looking for a cave or some kind of shelter.

He walked for hours and even in his fox form he was cold. He leaned against a boulder of ice and slumped, his legs were numb. He felt his eyes closing when he heard voice.

"Come on Katara…please!" A male voice said in a whining fashion. _Not Fire Nation…I'm near a Water Tribe if I remember right._ Naruto thought and lifted his head to see a pair wearing blue parkas with white fur.

"Oh!"

The hood came down and he saw a pair of blue eyes and brown hair. "Look Sokka, a fox."

"Great. We can skin him and…OW! What did you hit me for?" Sokka demanded as Katara slugged him in the gut.

"You will do no such thing." She said and knelt. "Hey little guy. You look half frozen." She said slowly extending her mitten covered hand.

"Don't do that Katara! He's likely to bite you." Sokka said, and Naruto saw him holding a weapon.

_A boomerang?_ Naruto thought. _Strange weapon._

"He's not wild. Look in his eyes. You won't bite me will you little guy?" Katara asked in a soothing voice, keeping her movements slow, and her eyes meeting the blue eyes of the fox before her.

Naruto shook his head, snow falling off of him as he moved.

"He's not an arctic fox." Katara said to Sokka who shrugged and made a snarky comment.

"What was your first clue? OW! Quit hitting me!" Sokka yelled.

Katara ignored her brother and looked at the red fox with strange markings. "You want to get warm?" She asked.

Naruto again nodded, his body was at its limit and the cold didn't help with him having been in the water.

"Will you let me pick you up and carry you?" Katara asked.

Naruto nodded again, his eyes were getting heavy, and he doubted he could shift back while he was so cold.

He felt her gently lift him and wrap him inside her jacket. He admitted she smelled nice, safe. And he was asleep before she even stood.

"Now that is not normal behavior for a fox of any kind." Sokka said.

"Shut up Sokka. Let's get back to the village." Katara said.

"This is a bad idea." Sokka said.

"You know the Fire Nation has a bounty on all foxes, there hasn't been a fox in these parts for nearly a hundred years." Katara said. "I want to see if Gran-Gran has any idea where he may have come from." Katara said.

Sokka whined about her adopting strays when they should be cooking them. "I bet he's got some meat on him, he looks healthy except for being cold."

"I'll hit you again if you even think of eating him." Katara said as she had an arm cradling the sleeping fox. She sent a silent prayer that it would be fine once it warmed up and wouldn't be wild like her brother was now muttering about under his breath, out of range of her hitting him with her fist.

_He's lucky I don't want to delay getting this little guy warmed up, or I'd waterbend him into an ice block._ The mocha skin toned girl thought as she kept walking, her pace quick.

_And its not like I've brought that many animals back. A couple of animals that needed doctoring is about all. A penguin here, a wolf there. Its not like they stay once their healthy._ She thought.

The sight of the Southern Water Tribe Village came into view and Katara ignored her brother as she increased her steps, hoping a warm fire and some food would help the fox snuggled in her jacket.

**AN: And Naruto has arrived in the world of Avatar. Here he will be known as Naruto no Kitsune. He will know his parents as Kushina no Kitsune and Minato a village leader. More will be explained later. It will be a chapter or three before the arrival of Aang. I'm thinking of making this Naruto/Katara pairing with Aang/Toph. I had one person already PM and put in a bid for a Naruto/Azula/Katara pairing, and to the person that asked for Aang/Naruto…No. Just no on that last one. I've been under a blitzkrieg of suggestions. Ty Lee, Suki and even a harem. No harem, sorry so don't ask. The ages of the Avatar cast has been raised. I do this in my stories for a reason. **

**Yes Naruto bends Air, Water and Earth. I nearly made it lightening or fire, but after some thoughts, this works well.**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Avatar, if I did, that would like be major boo-ku points.

Notes: Sokka is sixteen, Katara is fifteen. Yes I raised their ages, but as I remind those who bitch, this is fanfiction I can do as I please. Naruto is sixteen here, and Aang will be 13 (113) and Toph will be 13 as well. I'll fix others as well where I want and need. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!

Chapter 5

(Southern Water Tribe)

He awoke feeling warm and safe. He saw he was in a tent and his mind recalled being found by a couple of teens.

He stretched and his paws were out in front of him while his rear legs stretched out parallel of his tail, which was stretching as well.

He looked around the tent and sniffed.

_It smells like fish, and water…and snow lily?_ He saw the bed roll he'd been sleeping on and the memory of the girl returned to him.

He sniffed around and found out she lived her in the tent alone.

He peered outside and saw many women and children, but no men over the age of sixteen.

_Rumors were true. The men went to help the Earth Nation._ Naruto thought as he padded around the sparse tent. He saw a table with some personal items, a torch that smelled of fish oil.

He thought about transforming when he heard two raised voices approaching.

"Katara!" a familiar male voice whined.

"No Sokka!" the familiar female voice said.

"We can't keep bringing in stray animals. If he's not helpful he should be food." Sokka said.

"You heard Gran-Gran. The fox is special, there hasn't been a fox seen anywhere in nearly a hundred years." Katara argued. "You are not going to be eating a noble creature."

"Noble creature my boomerang. That thing is meat." Sokka said.

An "oof" was heard and Naruto scampered back as Katara ented the tent and he got a good look at her.

She was wearing blue and white fur long coat, dark blue mittens and her brown hair was in braids. Her blue eyes looked around and saw the empty spot where she'd left the fox.

Naruto stepped out from where he'd hidden and saw her eyes light up.

"Oh, there you are. You look better than you did before little guy."

Naruto nodded.. he knew he wouldn't be able to talk in his fox form until he was older. The flap opened and Naruto got his first proper look at Sokka. He had brown hair with the back shaved and the top pulled back into a short ponytail, wearing a blue and white coat.

_Oh, right. Boomerang boy._ Naruto thought.

"He's fine. You should let him return to the wild." Sokka said seeing the fox moving about.

"Will you shut up already!" Katara raged at her brother. Sokka back-peddled and held his hands up before him defensively.

"Okay, okay. Keep the little furball."

Naruto snorted and saw Katara looked at him. "You understand what we're saying?" she asked.

Naruto nodded. _I'll show her later, but her brother seems a bit of a loudmouth._ The kitsune thought, he trusted Katara even just meeting her he knew she would be someone to trust. _She just gives off a good vibe._

Sokka and Katara argued while she made dinner.

"I need to get to bed early. I have to train the troops tomorrow." Sokka said.

Katara shook her head. "Their not soldiers or warriors Sokka, their children!"

"They are warriors and they need to learn how to defend our home until dad and the other warriors comeback."

Katara clenched her fist as Sokka walked off.

"OOOOO. He makes me so mad." Katara said and started to clean up.

Naruto nibbled on the smoked fish and fruit she'd put out before him when her and Sokka ate.

It got later and Naruto turned when she began to get ready for bed. If he'd been able to he'd have been blushing for certain as she started to strip out of her clothes and into her sleepwear.

_I'm sixteen for spirits sake and…_

He shook his head and turned around when he heard her moving.

"Come on little guy." Katara called and he turned to see her getting into her sleeping bag. She patted the spot next to her and Naruto wouldn't argue as the it was the south pole and cold.

Crawling in he snuggled against her as she zipped it up. He was feeling warm and well fed for the first time in as long as he could remember and as sleep claimed him he felt Katara hug him to her like he was a plushie and her soft snores lulled him into sleep.

XX

The next several days Naruto in his fox form followed Katara everywhere or would curl up around her neck and shoulders under her hood.

He noted the village was small, not more than thirty people, most of them children or the elderly and no men older than Sokka or a couple of the old men.

He watched as Sokka built a watchtower out of snow and ice and tried to organize the children that were six to ten in some sort of coalition of warriors. He mentally smirked as the kids seemed to excel at driving the older boy crazy. They kept asking questions and one kept whining about having to go to the bathroom.

Katara was all over the village. Helping the older women with everything from sewing and food preparation to helping making nets and traps.

"Your little friend seems interested in what you are doing." Gran-Gran said as Naruto hopped onto the table and peered into the bowl.

Katara smiled as the fox was curious and wandered around avoiding getting stepped on. Most of the girls and women laughed and petted him.

"I can't explain it, but it's comforting that he's around." Katara said as she helped repair the net that had torn while Sokka and a couple of the old men were fishing.

"And here I thought he was staying by you because your brother keeps wanting to eat him." Gran-Gran said with a teasing grin.

Katara looked to where her brother was trying to teach the younger kids how to use a spear with very little success.

"Sokka means well, but I don't think he'd actually eat the little guy."

"If you're going to keep him around you really need to name him." Gran-Gran said.

Katara nodded and looked at Naruto who froze at hearing this. "What do you think little guy? You want a name?"

Naruto took several steps away and looked back at Katara.

"I think your young fox wants you to follow him." Gran-Gran said and Naruto swore that the old woman knew what he was.

Katara looked at what she was doing. "Go. We're nearly done here." Gran-Gran said.

Katara smiled and followed the fox and she was surprised it led her away from the village.

"Where are we going little one?" she asked.

Naruto stopped at a snow ridge out of sight. "You want to show me something?" Katara asked figuring the fox had uncovered snow lilies or a place it could live like the wolf she helped a year ago.

She looked at the fox and the relaxed smile went to one of surprise and shock as the fox shimmered and grew. Soon standing before her was a young man fifteen or sixteen, with long blond spiky hair in tattered clothes.

It was then she noticed the fox tail and his ears were pointed.

Naruto gave her his fox like grin and she saw the whisker marks and her mind froze.

"Hello." He said and she saw his blue eyes were sparkling with mirth.

"My name's Naruto Kitsune." He said scratching the back of his neck. "Thanks for rescuing me from the cold and taking care of me."

Naruto waited for her to say something, anything. But Katara just looked at him. "Um…Katara?" he said worried that she wasn't responding.

It was then he remembered why he used illusions to hide his tail and his pointed ears under his hair.

"SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! OHMYGOD!!!!"

The next thing he knew he was on his back and his whisker marks and ears was being stroked. As the sensations overwhelmed him he heard Katara's giggle and cracked his eyes open to see her watching his tail while she stroked his ears.

"That is so cute!"

Naruto made a sound of protest about being cute and around him he was unknowingly creating mini tornadoes with his tail swipes.

Katara finally realized what she was doing and leapt away and blushed. Naruto took a moment to recover and rolled to his knees to see Katara looking at him.

"You…You slept in my tent…in my bedroll!" she said pointing at him.

He nodded. "I know. But I didn't know you and I wasn't going to show who I was until I knew it was safe. My kind did that before and now I am the last."

"The last fox?"

"Kitsune, well, actually I'm hanyou. Half-human, half fox. My mother was pure blooded kitsune and she fell in love with my father, a village leader."

"You say was and were…are they…"

"Dead. The Fire Nation was relentless in their pursuit of wiping out my mother and our people. My father hid us for years until the Fire Nation found our village and wiped us out. I was the only one to escape. My father told me what my duty is."

Katara looked at him. "And what is your duty?"

Naruto sighed and looked at her. "One I fear will never come to be."

Katara left it alone for now, it seemed to make him sad.

"So, why did you show me now? Why show me who you are?" she asked instead.

"You're a good person. Kind hearted." Naruto said. "And I have the feeling I can trust you."

"So, you're going to stay as a fox in the village?" Katara asked.

"Most of the time, I'd like to keep it a secret between us, but I think your Grandmother knows."

Katara shared a smirk with him. "She usually doesn't miss much."

They looked at one another for a bit, then Katara turned and Naruto saw a blush touching her cheeks. "We need to speak with Gran-Gran." She said her voice low. Naruto looked at her questioningly.

"Transform back." Katara said and once he was picked him up.

She hurried back to the village with the fox in her arms and found her grandmother sitting in her tent preparing tea.

"He show you something special?" Gran-Gran asked with a knowing smirk.

"How?" Katara asked.

She watched as Gran-Gran went and sealed the tent flap and came back around she gave Naruto a look and put a cup in front of the fox. "Welcome young kitsune, it has been a long time since one of your kind has been seen."

Naruto sighed and transformed. "You knew the moment you saw me." He said.

Gran-Gran smirked. "Aye. It's your eyes for one thing. Fox's don't have blue eyes, nor the coloring of fur you possess." Gran-Gran said sipping her tea.

Naruto bowed his head and sighed. "You've met my kind before?"

Gran-Gran nodded. "I was a young girl when I stumbled upon a fox and her kits. They were running from the Fire Nation and my mother hid them for seven days. I got to know a bit about the kitsune's." she looked at Naruto who held his breath.

"But we're not talking about your duties, we're talking about you sleeping in my granddaughters bed."

Naruto blinked at the change of subject.

"Gran-Gran!" Katara said.

"Silence child." She said to Katara and looked at Naruto. "You've taken liberties…"

"I've done nothing but sleep and regain my energy." Naruto said. "I've taken nothing that wasn't given to me."

"And seeing my granddaughter change clothes?" Gran-Gran said with a raised eyebrow.

Katara blinked and looked at Naruto, her eye twitching.

"I've always been respectful and either left the tent or turned around." Naruto said and Katara after a moment of thinking about it nodded as she recalled the fox noticing her beginning to change and then spinning around so quickly she thought it had seen something or someone.

Gran-Gran looked at Katara. "Regardless, you have been sleeping with my granddaughter. In the traditions of the Water Tribe you will be betrothed and married when she comes of age."

XX

The twin shouts of "WHAT?!?" had everyone in the village looking at Gran-Gran's tent.

Sokka at his watchtower turned recognizing his sisters shout, but didn't recognize the other raised voice. Shrugging he went back to looking to the horizon.

_I just know the Fire Nation will come and attack us. I won't fail you dad._ Sokka thought.

XX

Katara was blushing as she looked at her grandmother with a hint of betrayal. Naruto was tongue tied and looking at his…at Katara and wondered if there was a way out of this.

Gran-Gran smirked at the looks of the youngsters before her, "Now, what are you called Kitsune."

Naruto blinked and realized that during all of this he hadn't introduced himself to the elderly woman blushed.

"Sorry. Naruto. Naruto no Kitsune." He said grinning and scratching the back of his neck with a hint of embarrassment.

"I am Kana, you may call me Gran-Gran and you of course know Katana."

Both teens blushed.

"Now then, arrangements will be made, a larger tent and…"

"Gran-Gran! Stop!"

The old woman looked at the younger with a quirked eyebrow. "Are you saying you didn't sleep with this young man in your bed?"

"Well…I…he…he was a fox!" Katara tried pointing at Naruto, her finger centimeters from the end of his nose.

Gran-Gran just looked at her.

"But…I didn't know he was…he was a boy!" Katara said.

"You aren't going to enforce this, are you?" Naruto asked the elder woman.

"I am." She said.

"Traditions are important, even in these dark times. If we abandon things we don't like and do as we please, are we any better than the Fire Nation and them trying to enforce they're will upon everyone?"

Naruto looked at the old woman. "Surely your mother taught you to honor tradition?"

Naruto sighed and nodded. He knew he shouldn't have, but he was cold and now for giving into his own wants and needs he had bound Katara to him without either of them meaning to.

"You knew what I was that first night." He said to Gran-Gran. "Why didn't you warn her or prevent her from…"

"From what young Kitsune? From helping you? From making sure you were healthy? I know your kind. Your duty is to guard the Avatar."

Naruto winced as Katara's breath sucked in. "Yes, it is a Kitsune's duty to guide and guard the Avatar." He turned his head away. "A duty we have failed for a hundred years."

Gran-Gran looked at him and at her granddaughter. "I think it best you return to your tent and talk for now. Get to know one another."

Katara nodded and looked at Naruto who transformed back to his fox form and leapt to her shoulders. Kana watched them go and smiled. _The bones were right. This will be good for you my dear._ She thought. _I just hope you forgive a meddling old woman._

XX

The pair sat across from one another. The silence had been stretching since they returned from Gran-Gran's tent.

"I…" they both said at the same time.

"You…" they said again at the same time.

"You first." Naruto said with a gesture of his hand.

"My grandmother used to tell me stories about the old days, a time of peace when the Avatar kept balance between the Water Tribes, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and Air Nomads. But then all that changed when the Fire Nation attacked."

Naruto nodded. "Only the Avatar who mastered all four elements could stop the ruthless firebenders. But when the world needed him most, he vanished."

She wasn't saying anything he didn't already know.

"It's been a hundred years and the Fire Nation is nearing victory in the war. Two years ago, my father and the men of this tribe journeyed to the Earth Kingdom to help them fight against the Fire Nation, leaving me and my brother to look after the rest of the tribe." Katara said and Naruto said as he watched her fiddle with the water in the cup before her, she was stirring it with waterbending, unthinking in her actions.

Katara was looking into the water now. "Some people believe that the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and that the cycle is broken." She looked at Naruto. "But with you here, that proves to me that there is still hope in the world."

She said softly, "I still believe that the avatar will return to save the world." She looked at the kitsune she was no betrothed to. "And if Gran-Gran is right that means that the Avatar will return."

Naruto sighed. "My mother who was around when the last Avatar was alive believed that there was hope. But when the Fire Nation wiped out the Air Nomads…the cycle is broken. If there is an airbender out there, he or she has been well hidden for a hundred years."

"Wait…you mom was around over a hundred years ago?" Katara asked and it registered with her on what he said. They'd talked about the Avatar because they thought it was safe.

"Um, yeah." Naruto said scratching the back of his neck and Katara in the short time realized he did it when he was nervous or embarrassed.

He sighed. "Kitsune can live thousands of years. More if…" he shook his head.

"So, you're…"

"Sixteen." Naruto said catching her question. "Mom died when I was nine, dad when I was five. He fought the Fire Nation, trying to keep the village safe, but there were too many of them and they finally brought him down, while my mother rushed me to safety."

Katara looked at him and saw the pain her hand touched his. "I lost my mom a couple years ago to a Fire Nation attack."

"So, you said earlier you were an hanyou?" Katara asked remembering his earlier introduction before their talk with Gran-Gran.

"Yes. I'm half-human. I won't live thousands of years, maybe a couple of hundred, even a low thousand." He said with a teasing grin, but saw her look.

"What does that mean for…for your wife?" Katara asked.

He nodded. "Mom explained it to me…when I…er…mate." He blushed as did Katara, "I will bite my mate here." He gestured at a spot where the shoulder and neck met. "It will bind us in life and death. My mate will get greater stamina, live longer and…" he blushed and looked away. Katara was going to ask what but by his blush she knew her curiosity needed to be kept to herself. _For now anyway. I mean, I will be his…Wait, why am I accepting this? I should be mad as hell for Gran-Gran doing this. She knew. _

"So…" Naruto said pulling her from her thoughts. "Katara, listen…I won't force you to do anything. From my short time around you…"

"We'll talk about it later. We need to talk about tonight."

Naruto sighed as Katara explained what would be happening.

"Um, just a quick question. Your brother?"

Katara smirked as she thought what her brothers reaction would be. _Its not all bad._ She thought of putting her brothers blood pressure into orbit.

"Oh, Sokka will scream like a hog monkey and throw a fit." Both pictured Sokka and shared a laugh.

"I'm sorry…" Naruto said after they both calmed.

"What for?" Katara asked.

"My being here, you being forced into this betrothal." He said looking away. "I know this isn't what you want. You don't know me, and I'm not fully human. Your grandmother shouldn't be forcing this."

Katara sighed. "But she's right. You did sleep in my bed. It's a trick of law and tradition, and I have no one to blame but myself, not even you are at fault. I do things impulsively."

"So your saying I'm easy?" Naruto said with a grin.

"Well you really didn't need any prompting." Katara said crossing her arms and looking at him to dispute her words, which he didn't.

Naruto paused. "Are we trying to pick a fight?" he asked.

Katara looked at him. "I think we are."

Naruto sighed. "No way out of this?"

Katara shook her head. "Unless one of us dies, then no." she saw Naruto's look and shook her head. "And running away wouldn't be an option. Jak ran away from his betrothal to Minmei and they hired a tracker to bring him back. Trust me, Gran-Gran would do that and more."

Naruto believed her. The short time he'd seen and the brief encounter earlier told him that the old woman was not one to cross.

"Shall we get ready for this?"

Katara nodded.

XX

Sokka looked around. "Wonder what the big announcement is this time?" he pondered as he found a seat around the fire. He saw that Gran-Gran and Katara weren't there yet.

"Anyone know what's going on?" he asked.

Everyone exchanged looks and shook their heads at this. "Great. Don't tell me we're going to be having another touchy feely meeting about not hunting seals or wolves." Sokka muttered kicking his feet out in front of him and crossing his arms.

It was a bit longer before Gran-Gran approached with Katara and a stranger.

"Hey, does he have a fox tail?" Sokka asked as Gran-Gran stood behind the pair. Sokka watched as his and Katara's grandmother took the pairs hands and laid the blonds over his sisters. A memory triggered and he got to his feet.

"Please welcome Katara's betrothed, Naruto of the…"

"Gran-Gran! What are you doing?" Sokka yelled from across the fire. "Who the hell is this? And don't tell me…"

"SILENCE!" the old woman thundered and Sokka found himself sitting ramrod straight where he'd been.

"Naruto and Katara are betrothed, and in one year on Katara's sixteenth birthday they will be wed." Gran-Gran said, her eyes locking on the stubborn look of Sokka's. "He is presenting himself as he is, a kitsune hanyou." She continued. "Please welcome Naruto into our tribe."

The pair were surrounded by well wishers, Katara listening to many of the girls giggle and talk about how lucky she was, and how handsome her betrothed was.

Naruto looked at the older men who patted him on the back and congratulated him, the younger kids were asking questions about his tail and if they could touch it.

Naruto turned and saw Sokka standing before him. He swallowed. It wasn't that he was worried about the other teen hurting him, but he was going to be his brother in-law and while Katara had told him yanking her brothers chain was always fun, Sokka at times needed to come around to things in his own time.

Naruto swallowed and waited, but Sokka looked at him, narrowed his eyes and turned away. Naruto looked on as the young water tribe warrior entered his tent and yanked the tent flap shut hard.

He looked at Katara and saw her own eyes had seen her brother walk away.

_It's never simple for a kitsune. We get good and bad at the same time it seems._ Naruto thought.

What neither he or Katara knew that in a couple months time, everything was going to change once again.

**AN: Let the show begin. The arrival of Aang is ahead in coming chapters, Sokka's issues and of course the betrothed learn about living with each other.**

**There were a lot of calls for the Katara/Naruto pairing so I went for it. I like to remind those that fanfiction is to try new things. **

**I might add Azula to the mix, Naruto would be good for her and the fighting between her and Katara would be more fun. **

**I don't want to hear about the betrothal. It seems like something that would be done, a young "man" sleeping in a girls bed would be seen as "liberties". I could see Gran-Gran making it an issue.**

**Aang/Toph will be the pairing for them and Sokka might get Suki or Ty Lee. **

**Someone suggested Sokka/Azula, but she would eat him alive. The Water Tribe Princess has been suggested that she live, but I think her death is needed for Sokka to mature.**

**Zuko will be good and maybe sooner than before. **


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Avatar.

Chapter 6

Naruto sat before Kana. The old woman was deceptive at times that Naruto would swear she had kitsune blood in her at how she manipulated him and Katara.

"You know I can't stay here." Naruto tried.

Gran-Gran nodded. "The Fire Nation has a standing order for the execution and or bounty of foxes."

"Then why did you betroth Katara to me? Its dangerous enough as is with her being a waterbender."

The old woman looked at him.

He shrugged. "She does a lot of it without thinking." He said mentioning how water behaved around her when she was upset or not focusing.

"Katara has always been special." Kana said. "As for betrothing her to you, you did sleep in her bed."

Naruto sighed. "As a fox." He countered. "Or are you saying that she's married to any other creature she's rescued over the years?"

Kana smiled and laughed. "You try telling me you're no better than an animal?"

"Many see a kitsune as nothing more than a beast." Naruto countered. "You're setting her up for major levels of pain."

Kana sipped her tea. Katara had dropped Naruto off and was helping the other women and the old men clean the fish while Kana was talking with Naruto.

"The Bones say that you will be good for her." Kana said. "They have yet to be wrong."

Naruto shook his head. He always hated divination. An elder of his father's village had used it often and it had given him the creeps as a child.

"You would ruin her life based on what fish bones tell you."

"I would save her life." Kana said. "Your duty is approaching, denying this could leave you out of balance."

Naruto sighed. He hated arguing with elders, they always had that air of knowing more than you.

"If what you say is true, and my duty is approaching, then it would be even more dangerous for Katara."

"Tell me young kitsune, what is it about being betrothed to my granddaughter that scares you so much?"

Naruto blinked and looked at her. His tail twitched and he knew he was cornered.

XX

Katara blushed as some of the older women were teasing her about how her young man was handsome.

"And that tail…"

Katara blushed. Between the innuendos and suggestions, she was surprised that the snow and ice around her was melted from the heat of her blush.

The women laughed, but Katara felt it and looked to see Sokka looking at her and at his approach, she knew this was not going to be pretty.

The others sensed it and grabbed the baskets to take the innards and fat to be processed and the bones to be steamed and the meat to be smoked.

"Sokka…" Katara began, but her brother held up a hand and she could see he was mad.

"Where did he come from Katara?" he demanded.

"Who?"

"That blond with the tail. The fox tail." He said and she knew that his mind was processing it.

"Naruto was the fox…"

"No duh." Sokka said.

"What have you two done that Gran-Gran would betroth you to…him?" Katara watched as his mind was supplying answers and his eyes widened. "You're too young for…"

"Sokka No!" she said stopping him from jumping to the conclusion that she knew his mind must have leapt to.

"It wasn't that."

"Yeah? Then explain it to me." Sokka said crossing his arms over his chest.

She sighed. "Naruto…"

"If you two haven't done that, then why did Gran-Gran push a betrothal so quickly?" he said cutting her off. "I knew you shouldn't have been given your own tent." He said.

Katara's eyes narrowed as Sokka was being a butthead. "You're only one year older than I am, and Gran-Gran let you live alone after dad left…"

"This isn't about me, this is about you. You're a girl…"

The water in the nearby barrel snapped up and smacked Sokka across the face.

Katara blinked and unclenched her fist. "Sokka, I'm sorry…I didn't…"

"You do this all the time Katara. You and that funky magic water thing." Sokka said gesturing about wildly. He stormed away and she could only watch him go.

XX

"Now young Kitsune, we both know what you are and what your destiny entails. Don't you think my granddaughter has a right to know what you can do?"

Naruto blinked. "Old Woman, how do you know I'm a bender?"

Gran-Gran laughed. "All Kitsune are benders. I bet you are a duel bender."

Naruto snorted. "I'm a tri-elemental bender." Naruto said proudly as the tent flap opened and Katara walked in to hear the last.

She blinked. "Really?" at the same time Gran-Gran used her arrival of her granddaughter to cover her surprise.

"What elements do you bend?" Katara asked coming in fully and kneeling at the table, her sorrow at the fight with Sokka vanished.

Naruto blinked and looked at the old woman who motioned for him to go on.

"Um, Air, Earth and Water. I can also…"

"You can waterbend? You could show me…"

"Katara, let him finish speaking." Gran-Gran smiled as the younger girl blushed.

"As I was saying I can also sand, plant, and bloodbend. Still working on trying to figure out how to metalbend."

Kana blinked. "Did you say bloodbend?"

Naruto nodded at Gran-Gran. "Learned it on accident. I hate using it."

"Gran-Gran?" Katara asked.

"It is a lost art of waterbending, a forbidden art." She looked at Naruto. "If you teach Katara waterbending you will not…"

"I know that. I wish I never discovered it. I felt tainted after doing it."

Katara knew that something serious was being discussed and her Gran-Gran's eyes were sharp as they bored into the fox boy's slit blue eyes.

Naruto turned to Katara, "And yes, I'll help you waterbend, you do a lot of it unconsciously."

Katara blinked, but then remembered the water from the barrel moments ago slapping Sokka.

"Anything else old woman?" Naruto asked and Katara took a deep inhale at the disrespect from the Kitsune to her grandmother who actually chuckled.

"Not right now my boy. You children need to talk a lot more it seems. I'll see how the others are doing, and speak with my walrus brained grandson."

Gran-Gran left the pair and Naruto saw Katara had a million questions in her eyes and knew day was going to be an even longer one.

His tails smacked the ground and Katara's questions poured from her like a monsoon.

XX

"You look like you swallowed another one of those rice cakes you tried making."

Sokka looked up and sighed. "Hey Gran-Gran. No, haven't eaten yet."

His grandmother entered his tent and took a seat across from him. "What bothers you boy?"

"How could you betroth Katara to that…"

"Kitsune's are honorable race. You don't want to insult them, they do get even with tricks and pranks."

Sokka sighed. "I don't understand." Sokka said.

"Sokka, I did what was best for Katara. I did a reading not too long ago. Your sister had three paths laid out before her."

Sokka looked up at this. His grandmother very rarely shared readings about others. "You sister would either have a grand adventure find love and loss and die within a year, a second path saw that she would grow old and die alone here, or the third path which I set her upon. She would know love, she would have adventure and she would have a long healthy life."

Sokka sighed. "I think the second one was a better idea…OW!" the last was said as she poked his forehead with her index finger hard.

"Don't be a penguin brain." She scolded him. "Could you really wish you sister a lonely existence?"

Sokka sighed. "No. but…why…why not someone normal?"

Kana sighed. "Sokka, you need to get past your bigotry. There's more to your sisters future, but that I will let her and the Kitsune discover." His Gran-Gran let loose with a chuckle he remembered from his younger years that she was going to be pulling a prank and only she was going to find it funny for a while.

"Will it cause them pain?" he asked.

Kana sighed. "Some. But in the end they will be happy."

Sokka sighed. "I hate growing up. Things were so much simpler when I was nine."

Kana smiled at her grandson. "To an innocent child everything is easy. To a teenager everything is hard. To an adult everything is troublesome and to the elderly, everything goes by too fast." She patted his shoulder. "Your sister and her betrothed will need you Sokka. As powerful as Naruto is, he will need to be reminded of the simpler things in the times ahead."

Sokka looked at her. "What do you know Gran-Gran?"

"You will be going on a long journey my boy." She pulled out the bones and rolled them. She looked at Sokka. "You two will find love, adventure and heartache, but you will become better for it all."

Sokka looked at the bones. "I'm not sure if I want to grow up any more."

Kana smiled. "We never want to grow up once we get to a certain age and long for the innocence of youth." She sighed. "You are a warrior Sokka, a young warrior and the times ahead will forge you or break you. As your sister and Naruto will need you, so will you need them."

Sokka sighed. "Can't I sulk for a night at least?"

Kana chuckled. "I suppose I can give you a day to pout. Tomorrow you and Katara will need to go fishing. Take Naruto with you."

Sokka sighed. "Do I have to?" he whined.

"Yes." Kana said. "Get to know your brother in-law. You are the man of the family Sokka. You will need to act like it."

The young man sighed and grumbled under his breath.

Kana patted his shoulder as she rose. "You'll need to head out a bit, some of the older men say that the fish seem to have moved further away this season."

Sokka grunted like a moose-bear and Kana went to help the other women prepare dinner.

She passed her tent and saw Katara and Naruto were gone. As she approached her granddaughters tent she could hears laughter and a shriek. Shaking her head she thought about the energy of youth and what was to come.

_I only pray to the spirits of the moon and tide that they can withstand what is coming._ She thought.

XX

Katara laughed as Naruto shook himself from the water ball she'd accidentally hit him with.

"You're lucky Kitsune are warm by nature Katara." He said and she watched as he focused and the water seemed to drift off of him and formed a fresh water ball. She was going to say something when he flicked his wrist and a small amount of water hit her in the face causing her to shriek and laugh.

Naruto gave her a look with a raised eyebrow. "Are you sure you want to start a water fight with me in our tent Katara?" he asked.

She looked around and agreed. "I'll get even with you." She said with a determined look. Naruto nodded and motioned at the hanging ball of water.

"Now, take the water ball." He said.

She focused and the ball dipped, nearly hitting the ground before she got control. "You need to be mindful." Naruto said. "Water can heal as well as destroy."

"What do you mean heal?" Katara asked struggling with keeping the water ball in the air and spinning it.

"Later lessons that will be, but you need to get the basics down. Be happy I'm not like my mother, she'd drive you into the ground."

"She was that mean?"

"No, but mom made sure that I understood bending wasn't a toy. It's a responsibility. Yes you can have fun with it, but at the same time you need to be mindful of your surroundings."

Katara sighed. "I'm not lecturing to be mean Katara." Naruto said. "But bending isn't about flash and fun. Its about harmony between you and the elements."

He took control of the water ball and she watched as he bent it to his will, it formed several shapes from a bowl to a spiked ball to a swirling vortex of water. He then created it to form a fox with nine tails.

"Let me tell you about my mother. Her name was Kushina, but she was granted the title of Kyuubi no Kitsune at a young age. She protected the Kitsune and we forged an alliance. A Kitsune's duty is to protect the Avatar as he learns how to bend the elements. We cannot teach him. Why because it's a matter of the journey. The avatar needs to discover who he or she is as well as learn about the elements and his or her place with them."

Naruto sighed offering her the water ball back. "Anyways my mother would have pushed you until you couldn't stand. She did that because she never wanted anyone to be unprepared. Mom had issues with shoddy teaching." He shook his head and Katara saw he was remembering something.

She would ask later, but for now she focused on holding the water in the air. _A basic exercise is holding water in the air for a long period and keep your focus. We'll be working on moving the water later._ She thought and ignored Naruto's attempts to startle her.

She was getting better when he got between her and the water and she saw his fox like grin. "What…"

He kissed her and the water ball hit the floor as her shock caused her to loose focus.

Neither heard the tent flap open. "Katara could I talk…" Sokka stopped seeing his sister kissing the blond.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

**AN: Alright, next time we kick into the show. **


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Avatar.

**AN: Need to remind the people who are overly critical, if you want perfection stop being cheap bastards or bitches and buy a book for 7.99 (paperback) US currency. This is free. **

Chapter 7

Katara glared at her brother. He was sulking and didn't notice. It was bad enough in his opinion to see his younger sister kissing someone, but then when he tried to threaten said male and attack him, the Kitsune had sidestepped him and with his tails tripped him, grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back and took his club away.

_Just with his tails! It is so not fair!_ Sokka raged in his mind while keeping to the other side of the fire. _I'm standing up for her honor and she gets mad at me! _

Katara went back to talking with Gran-Gran and some waterbending with Naruto trying to distract her, but not with a kiss.

His eyes went to the pair sitting next to Gran-Gran, the "Couple" as he called them were talking and he scowled as the fox boy encouraged his sister to play with the water he'd brought to the fire.

Sokka wouldn't admit it aloud, but he was impressed with his sister's ability. Currently she was spinning it in a sideways figure eight while answering questions. He'd heard the fox…_I should call him by his name…what was it again? Natsumo? Nabunga? Natalia? Gah, stupid whiskers taking advantage of my baby sister._ Sokka thought crossing his arms and scowling at the blond.

Said blond looked across the fire and winked before going back to speaking with Gran-Gran and trying to distract Katara.

_At least he's not trying to kiss her again._ Sokka thought and grabbed his plate of food.

_And I still have to take them with me tomorrow. This sucks!_ Sokka whined. When he went to Gran-Gran and complained about the fox kissing Katara, the old woman had smiled and said, "That's nice Sokka. Betrothed are supposed to kiss."

_I'm never understanding things. Girls are weird and they have so many rules that don't make sense. _

He watched for a while before excusing himself and going to his tent. He paused passing the "Couple"

"Be ready to go early. We've got a distance to cover to get to the good fishing spots." He said and walked away.

XX

Katara woke and looked around. She saw the sun had yet to rise and considered returning to sleep, but she knew that she had to get moving. _We're going with Sokka today._ She thought.

She looked at the bedroll next to her and her eyes softened. Naruto had one hand over his eyes and was making soft snoring sounds that would be considered breathing.

She took this chance to study the kitsune her grandmother had betrothed her to. She had to admit the whisker marks and blond hair made her want to touch, and his tails at times she wanted to grab and pet.

Her mind went back to the kiss. He had meant to use it as a distraction, but when she deepened it, it had surprised both of them.

_If Sokka wouldn't have interrupted…_ Katara blushed as several images played across her mind.

She wasn't unlearned, she'd heard many of the older girls and women talk while working. _I just never thought I would be thinking of things like this._

Her eyes continued to study Naruto, and she could see the slenderness of his face and she had more questions for him. How he turned into a fox and about so many stories she heard about how foxes.

_Gah, there is so much to know about him, about us, about bending…_

She shook her head and continued to watch him sleep. She knew that he would wake up soon.

As if summoned by her thoughts he stretched and yawned and she saw his canine teeth and his eyes fluttered open.

"Hey." He said his voice laced with sleep still.

"Good morning." She said and made an "eep!" sound when he leaned over and kissed her lightly.

Her eyes were drifting shut as she enjoyed the sensation and blinked when he was gone.

Katara's eyes snapped open and saw him slipping out of the tent in his fox form.

"Grr…GET BACK HERE!"

XX

Katara was dressed and found Naruto sitting before the central fire. She knew he hated the cold, despite his natural warmth. She saw he was wearing a coat and wondered where he got it, and why did she think he looked damn good in fur.

"You left rather quickly." She said sitting next to him. He offered her some rolls and milk. "You needed to get ready." He simply said and she knew they would have to talk about that still.

"Where did you get the coat?" she asked to change the subject.

"Kana." He said.

Katara shook her head. "You know she told you to call her Gran-Gran."

Naruto nodded. "I do, once and a while. I also call her meddling old…" she shoved a roll into his mouth.

Naruto chewed it and swallowed. "I get the point. But still, she meddles."

"That I do young kitsune, but that is the way of the elderly." Gran-Gran said coming up behind them.

"Morning Gran-Gran."

"Morning my dear. Your brother isn't up yet."

Katara snorted and stood. "I'll get him." She wandered away finishing her roll. Naruto sighed as Kana handed him a pair of mittens. "Keep warm." She said.

"Thanks. I just don't like the cold. Guess its growing up in warmer climates."

"Don't be too hard on Sokka. He's still learning." She said.

"I'll try not to, I think Katara might be harder on him than me, but I guess that's siblings."

Kana smiled. "Good hunting and fishing today."

Naruto nodded and watched her go even as he heard Sokka's scream.

_Must have used a bucket of ice water._ The blond thought.

XX

Icebergs slowly drift past the canoe as the three figures in it let the current carry them for now.

Naruto is in the middle while Sokka is in the bow and Katara in the aft. Naruto snickers as a fish swims near the front of the canoe behind Sokka's back. The boy is staring intently at the water holding a spear, while another is in front of him.

"Its not getting away from me this time!" Sokka says. Naruto shakes his head, this is the fourth time Sokka has said that phrase, thus far the bucket is empty.

"Both of you watch and learn how to properly catch a fish!"

Katara looks at Naruto before leaning over the edge of the canoe to see another fish. She shares a look with Naruto and hesitantly removes her left glove.

She takes a deep breath and with a look of concentration mixed with trepidation she begins to motion with her exposed hand. Slowly a globe of water containing the fish lifts from the water and hovers near the edge of the canoe.

"Sokka, look!" Katara says trying to get her brothers attention.

"Shhh." Sokka whispers. "Katara you're gonna scare the fish away." He says raising his spear to strike. "I can already smell it cookin'!" Sokka says drooling and licking his lips.

Naruto motions towards the bucket and Katara puts the fish in it. After several more they have a dozen fish between the two of them while Sokka is focusing on his lone fish still.

"Sokka, we caught some!" Katara tried again catching one more, she's struggling with the blob of water as the fish is moving in it making it difficult as she floats it closer to Sokka who raises his spear to strike at the fish that had been taunting him. As he cocks his arm back, the spear shaft hits the blob of water and it bursts, drenching him and the fish fall back into the sea.

"HEY!" Katara protests as she had been trying very hard.

Sokka shakes, an exasperated look on his face. "Ugh!" he says and glares at Katara and Naruto who is rolling on the bottom of the canoe with laughter.

Sokka glares. "Why is it that every time you play with magic water I get soaked?" he demanded of his sister.

Katara sighs. "Its not magic. Its waterbending. We've been over this before. It's…"

"Yeah, yeah, an ancient art unique to our culture." Sokka says breaking into her speech. "Blah, blah, blah. Look, I'm just saying that if I had weird powers I'd keep my weirdness to myself."

Naruto stopped laughing. He sensed the change in Katara and winced at her tone of voice.

"You're calling me weird?" she growled. "I'm not the one who makes muscles at himself every time I see my reflection in the water."

Naruto's eyes cut to Sokka who is in fact making a muscle and looking at his reflection in the water.

Naruto looks to Katara, but the boat is bumped before he could comment. All three look up to see they have drifted into a ice packed area.

Naruto grabs the sides as Katara and Sokka grab oars and work frantically to keep the canoe between the icebergs.

All three yell at several close calls.

"WATCH OUT!" Katara yells.

"GO LEFT! GO LEFT!" Naruto yells.

"No one likes a middle seat driver!" Sokka yells.

The canoe threads its way through the ice pack. Icebergs colliding all around them. Their safety margin dwindles with each time they manage to avoid getting crushed between colliding icebergs. Finally the canoe is crushed when three icebergs collide at once.

Naruto landing after leaping to one of the icebergs, Sokka under his arm and Katara slung over his shoulder. He sees that they are at the mercy of the currents which is drawing them away from land.

Katara rounds on Sokka. "YOU CALL THAT LEFT?"

Sokka glares right back at his sister. "You don't like my steering? Well maybe you or fox boy should have waterbended us out of the ice."

Naruto winces as he sees Katara's hand clench and knows this isn't going to be pretty.

"So it's my fault?" she snarls and Naruto sees a large towering iceberg rear up into the sky behind them.

"I knew I should have left you at home. Leave it to the girl to screw things up."

Naruto palms his face and shakes his head. He peeks between his fingers and sees that his betrothed is letting her anger boil over. She points at her brother, not noticing the water around them churning wildly

_This can't be good._ Naruto thought.

**AN: And thus we have started into the series. Katara and Naruto are coming along. I received a lot of PM's from people crying about be ruining the KATAANG pairing. Folks. If you want canon, watch the show. Who knows I might do another avatar one later, but for now this is how it is. If you don't like it don't read it. Sending me hate mail is a waste of time, yours and mine.**


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Avatar.

Chapter 8

Naruto watched as his betrothed verbally lambasted her brother.

"YOU ARE THE MOST SEXIST, IMMATURE, NUT BRAINED…"

Naruto watches as she gets more and more excited, the iceberg they are standing on begins to heave. He looks and the huge iceberg begins to crack.

"Um, Katara." He tries.

"UGH! I AM EMBARRASSED TO BE RELATED TO YOU!" she continues, her voice dropping, but the edge is there. "Ever since mom died I've been doing all the work around cam while you've been off playing soldier!"

Sokka hearing the crack looks at the huge iceberg as the crack gets larger. "Uh, Katara?" he says hesitantly and shoot Naruto a look to do something.

"I even wash all the clothes! Have you ever smelled your dirty socks? Let me tell you something, its NOT PLEASANT!"

"Katara, you need to settle down now." Naruto says.

Sokka is frantic as he sees the looming iceberg. "Settle down!"

"NO! That's it! I'm done helping you. From now on you're on your own!" Katara says and as she finishes screaming the iceberg behind her splits open entirely. It disintegrates and the major pieces fall into the water, pushing their iceberg away. Naruto grabs onto Katara and sinks his clawed hand into it, desperately holding on until it settles. Sokka rams his boomerang in for purchase, meanwhile screaming "WE'RE GONNA DIE AND ITS KATARA'S FAULT!"

Naruto is tempted to send him into the water with a tail strike, but resists the urge.

Once it has they stand.

"Okay, you've gone from weird to freakish Katara." Sokka says.

"You mean I did that?" she asks and looks at Naruto who nods while Sokka adds "Yup, congratulations."

"Shut up Sokka!" Naruto and Katara say. Naruto takes her hands. "This is what I meant about bending is connected to your emotions."

She looked sheepish. "Oops?"

Naruto laughed and kissed her bare hand. "We really need to work on your temper it seems."

Before they can say more, the water just in front of them begins to glow an incandescent blue. All three step back on their iceberg as another, lighter colored iceberg breaks the surface.

It is unknown if it is part of the iceberg Katara cracked or a new one, but as it settles Katara walks to the edge of their iceberg raft to get a better look, ignoring Sokka's protests for her to stay back.

She squints and sees the figure of a boy in what looks like a meditation pose. He has a white arrow on his fists and his bald head. His eyes snap open glow and the intensity of the arrows glow brighter.

"He's alive! We have to help!" Katara says. She grabs Sokka's spear, pulls down her hood and turns to go to the boy.

"Katara! Get back here! We don't know what that thing is!" Sokka tried, then looked at Naruto. "Do something!"

"Like what?" the blond asked as he focused and formed an ice bridge between their ice raft and the new iceberg. Katara rushed across, while Sokka shoots Naruto a dark look. "You encourage her."

Naruto grins and stops seeing the boy. He ignores the grumbling Sokka who followed.

Katara is whacking the ice, after a few smacks she manages to crack open the ice. It looks like air is released, as if it was hollow inside.

The iceberg cracks from top to bottom and with a groan explodes open. A huge shaft of white-blue light shoots straight into the sky, as if connecting with the heavens.

In the distance Naruto hears a heard of tiger seals who roar at the phenomenon they hear.

_Damn, Kana was right. I'm really hating seers and their bones._ The blond thought as he looked at the pillar lighting up the sky.

XX

Miles North…

Prince Zuko and Princess Azula the exiled children of the Fire Lord break apart from their sparing aboard the iron hulled battleship. Zuko flips his lone ponytail over his shoulder as he looks at the shaft of light. His eyes narrow the left side of his face badly scarred around the eye pulls tight, but he ignores it as he watches the pillar slowly dissipate.

Next to him, his sister Azula sneers.

"Well Zu-Zu, looks like your dream is finally happening." She taunts him. Both exiled from the Fire Nation, Zuko's wound on his face the more visible of the two.

Zuko ignores her and turns towards their uncle who had been watching them spar. "Uncle, do you realize what this means?"

Iroh sighed from where he was sitting cross-legged at a low table drinking tea, playing with the tiles of his game.

"What it means Prince Zuko is that I won't get to finish my game."

"No Uncle. It means my search, our search is about to come to an end." Zuko said ignoring Iroh's groan and Azula's snort.

"That light came from a very powerful source, it has to be the Avatar!"

"Or its just the celestial lights. We've been down this path before Prince Zuko. You know I don't want you to get too excited over this."

Iroh looked at his niece and nephew. "Now, please sit. Why don't you both enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?"

Azula accepts and sits across from her uncle, but her brother explodes into anger.

"I DON'T NEED ANY CALMING TEA! WHAT I NEED IS TO CAPTURE THE AVATAR!" he spins around. "Helmsman, change course for that light!"

XX

Sokka is covering his head while Naruto is shielding Katara from the blast that just dissipated. All three look on as the residual blue light was still swirling around the top of what was left of the iceberg.

Naruto's eyes widen when he sees the boy appear, his eyes and arrow markings still aglow.

Sokka thinking the boy means them harm grabs his spear and raises it at the boy. "Stop!"

The energy slowly fades and the boy seems to pass out and slides down the side of the ruined iceberg towards the trio. Katara lunges forward and catches him as he falls.

"Katara." Naruto says.

Sokka meanwhile is poking the boy in the head with the blunt end of his spear.

"Stop it!" Katara hisses and Naruto puts a hand on her shoulder. His two tails waiving around behind him, his eyes locked on the boy his betrothed is holding onto.

He watches as Katara gently turns the boy over so he is lying on his back.

Naruto bites the inside of his lip as the boy's eyes slowly open. A breeze blows Katara's braids as they hear the boy take a deep breath.

"I need to ask you something." The boy says in a weak voice.

"What?" Katara asks.

The boy still whispering "Please come closer."

Naruto and Sokka both tense up for different reasons.

"What is it?" Katara asks leaning in.

_She is far too trusting._ Naruto mentally groans.

The boy in a normal, yet excited voice asks "Will you go penguin sledding with me?"

Naruto palms his face and growls while Sokka is blinking as he tries to wrap his mind around the sheer insanity.

"Um…sure. I guess." Katara says looking at Naruto who shrugged. The trio watch as the boy airbends himself to his feet and rub the back of his head.

"AHH!" Sokka yells.

"What's going on here?" the boy asks.

"You tell us!" Sokka demands. "How'd you get in the ice?" Sokka says as he pokes at the boy with his spear. "And why aren't you frozen?"

The boy absently bats the spear away. "I'm not sure." He answers then gasps hearing a low animal like noise behind him and they watch as he begins to frantically climb back up the ruined iceberg. He jumps over the lip and what is now in fact a crater. The three scramble up and see him landing on a huge furry animal.

"APPA!" the boy crows. "Are you alright?" he asks with a hint of worry. "Wake up buddy." He says leaning down from the beasts head and opens one its eyes. He closes it again before hopping down and tries to lift the creatures huge head without effect.

The boy is laughing and smiling yelling "You're okay!" over and over again while hugging the beast.

Naruto from his vantage point sees that the huge flying bison takes up most of the crater. _Six legs horns. Its been a long time since a flying bison has been seen. _ The Kitsune thinks. _Of course its been nearly as long since a Kitsune has been seen as well._ He thinks with a mental chuckle.

They watch as Appa rises and shakes himself a bit.

"What the hell is that thing?" Sokka demands holding up his spear once more. Naruto sighs and wonders if he and Katara could trade Sokka in for one of the younger kids. _At least they aren't as dense._ He thought of the group of youngsters back at the village.

"This is Appa, he's my flying bison." The boy says with pride.

Sokka being Sokka however answered with "Right, and this is Katara my flying sister and Naruto my flying brother in-law."  
The boy is about to reply when he realizes something as Appa begins to sneeze. He ducks in time while Naruto seeing the reaction of the bison grabs Katara and leaps away as Appa prodeeds to sneeze all over Sokka.

"Ewww!" Sokka screams as he covered in snot, then tries to get rid of it by rolling around on the ice and snow.

"Don't worry." The boy says. "It'll wash out."

"Ugh!" Sokka says shaking in disgust.

"So, do you guys live around here?" the boy asks then seeing Naruto's tails, his eyes widen. "Oh my! A Kitsune!"

Naruto winces as the boy leaps around him and feels the boy grab one of his tails.

Naruto bops him on the head. "Don't pull my tail!" he says. "How'd you like it if I pulled yours."

The boy looks at him. "But I don't have a tail."

Naruto leans in and in a deadly voice says, "You have something else I can grab and yank."

It takes the boy a moment to realize what Naruto is talking about and he pales.

"And we're not telling you where we came from." Sokka says looking at Naruto and Katara. "Did you see that crazy bolt of light? He was probably trying to signal the Fire Navy."

Katara rolls her eyes at her brother's antics. "Oh yeah, I'm sure he's a spy for the Fire Navy. You can just tell by the evil look in his eye."

All three turn to see the boy making an innocent face, his smile nearly as big as his head.

Shaking her head, Katara steps forward. "The paranoid one is my brother, Sokka. I'm Katara and the blond is my betrothed Naruto no Kitsune."

The boy nods to each. "I'm A…" he starts to say with an odd look on his face. "Aaaaahhhh…ahhhhh…aaah…aaah…aaah…AAAAAAAAAACHOOOOO!" the boy sneezes, he zooms off the ground and into the air. he lands right in front of Katara.

"I'm Aang." He says sniffling and rubbing his nose.

"You just sneezed…and flew ten feet in the air." Sokka says with an incredulous look.

"Really?" Aang asks. "It felt higher than that."

"You're an airbender!" she says and looks at Naruto for permission, but he shakes his head.

"Sure am." Aang says proudly.

Meanwhile Sokka is talking to himself. "Giant beams of light…flying bison…airbenders…kitsunes…I think I've got Midnight Sun Madness." He shakes his head and turns to walk off. "I'm going home, you know where stuff makes sense."

He finds his path blocked by the iceberg's edge. The area is desolate, just the sea and more icebergs, land is far away.

"Well, if you guys are stuck Appa and I can give you a lift." Aang offers before airbending himself onto Appa's head, then to the top of his back where rests an enormous saddle. It is then that they see reigns are attached to both of Appa's great horns.

"We'd love a ride! Thank you!" Katara says as she climbs up using handfuls of Appas fur to get there.

Sokka shakes his head and waves his arms. "Oh no. I am not getting on that fluffy snot monster."

Katara looks down from her perch. "Are you hoping some other kind of monster will come along and give you a ride home? You know…before you freeze to death?"

Sokka winced at his sisters tone then got an idea and looked at Naruto who ignored him and climbed up behind Katara. The "Hell no!" unspoken between the Kitsune and his brother in-law.

Sokka looks ready to protest loudly and begins to say something only to stop, shake his head. He lets out a sigh.

Sokka with help from Aang and Naruto gets into the back part of the saddle. He sees his sister looking excited and Naruto even has a grin on his face.

He crosses his arms across his chest.

Aang looks over his shoulders. "Okay first time flyers, hold on tight! Alright Appa, yip yip!" Aang shakes the reigns while Aapa makes a low rumble deep in his chest.

Appa flaps his huge beaver tail and then launches into the air, spreading his legs wide but then he comes right back down into the water with a huge splash. He begins to swim forward.

Aang shakes his head then gives the reigns another shake. "Come on Appa. Yip yip."

Sokka from his place snortd. "Wow. That was truly amazing. What next we go to the moon?"

Aang looks over his shoulder. "Appa's just tired. A little rest and he'll be soaring through the sky. You'll see."

They watch as the bald headed boy makes a soaring through the sky motion with his hand, his eyes resting on Katara. He leaves them there, a smile on his face as he looks at her.

"Why are you smiling at me like that?" Katara asked seeing him looking at her.

"Oh…I was smiling?" he offers/answers.

Naruto makes a growl in his throat while Sokka is more vocal. "Uuuugh!" in a disgusted voice.

**AN: More next time with Zuko, Azula and Iroh, as well as Naruto, Aang and the rest.**


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Avatar.

Chapter 9

(Fire Navy Ship)

Zuko is standing on deck looking at the distance. Azula had already turned in for the night and he heard his Uncle's familiar footsteps approaching from behind.

"I don't want to hear it Uncle." Zuko said without turning around.

"Prince Zuko, you must let this go before it destroy's you like it has so many members of your family." Iroh said staying several paces away.

Zuko sighed and changed the subject. "Azula's exile caught me by surprise Uncle. I never thought she would do anything to displease father."

Iroh chuckled. "While my brother terrorizes his children, I too will be the first to admit Azula's actions took me by surprise."

They remained quiet for a bit. "This has to be the Avatar. It just has to be Uncle. Once we find the Avatar, father will have to forgive both Azula and I."

Iroh sighed. He knew his brother better and he doubted that very much, but kept quiet on that.

"It could just be a phenomenon with the Southern lights." Iroh tried.

Zuko shook his head. "No. I feel it deep down. This is it Uncle." Zuko said, his hands gripping the rail, unconsciously he generated heat and melted the iron rail a bit. "We will find the Avatar and father will take us back."

Iroh looked at his nephew, but the belief in that statement wasn't there.

XX

(Water Tribe Village)

Naruto looked on as Katara was introducing Aang to the entire village who had gathered to greet them upon their return. Naruto's eyes didn't leave the airbender's back. He was trying to decide what to do. He knew this boy was the Avatar. Everything in him screamed at him the moment he laid eyes on

_So why did he deny it or knowing the Avatar?_ The Kitsune thought to himself.

He saw Sokka was trying to break in and make himself look better than he did and he sighed at his soon to be brother in-law's antics. _And he's supposed to be the elder of the two._

Aang looked bright and Naruto saw as the boy laughed and joked with everyone. There was something bothering the young Kitsune and he would figure out the airbender, he just needed time.

"What troubles you young kitsune?"

"GAH!" Naruto jumped a foot in the air and rounded on Kana. "DON'T do that!" he said holding a hand over his heart. The old woman cackled. "I see you've reapplied that silly glamour to hide yourself, why? Everyone here knows what you look like."

Naruto shrugged. He looked like a normal blond teenager wearing dark pants and a mesh shirt under his blue and white parka.

The pair watch as Aang leaps into the air with a blast of air and snaps open his staff to reveal a glider which he grabs onto and circles around over the heads of the villagers and the delight of the children.

"Whoa flying! Amazing!" were heard from several of the villagers. Naruto watches as Aang showing off looks at Katara, who smiles at the airbender and he crashes right into Sokka's guard tower.

Naruto bites back the laugh as he hears Aang's "Oof!" Sokka's "MY WATCHTOWER!"

And Katara's "That was amazing."

Naruto growled at that and Kana chuckle doesn't ease his tension as he watches Katara run over and helps by digging Aang out.

She helps Aang back to his feet and he twirls his glider shut as Sokka is looking at his damaged tower, as Aang's glider snaps shut a huge bank of snow buries Sokka.

"Great, just great. You're an airbender, Katara's a waterbender and Naruto's a…"

"Stifle." Naruto said and Sokka must have heard the warning as he continued with "All three of you together can just wasted time all day long."

Aang however had stopped listening as he looked at Katara. "You're a waterbender!"

Katara shrugs a bit. "Well…sort of. Not yet." She says before a side look at Naruto. Gran Gran sensing the Kitsune's tension speaks up. "All right. No more playing. Katara, come along you have chores. Let the boys bond."

Kana leads Katara away who looks over her shoulder and is wondering why Naruto avoids looking at her. shrugging it off she turned to speak with her grandmother.

"I told you! He's the real thing, Gran Gran! I know Naruto has to teach me now that there's someone else here."

"Katara." Kana admonishes. "Try not to put all your hopes in this boy. Remember you are now betrothed to Naruto."

"But Gran, he's special. I can tell. You should have seen Naruto looking at him earlier. I bet he's full of all kinds of wisdom." She says but as she looks over to where she left Naruto with Aang and Sokka she sees Aang with his tongue frozen to his staff as the younger children are gathered around him.

"Sthee? Now my tongue ith thuck to my sthaff." Aang slurs out even as the children laugh. Katara watches as Naruto says something and one of the kids grabs the staff and yanks, but Aang's tongue stays stuck and the children clap and laugh.

"Yes, I see." Kana says to her granddaughter. "Really full of wisdom."

XX

(Fire Nation Ship)

As the sunsets on the horizon the ship is cutting through the waves. On deck Zuko is facing two Fire Navy seamen while Iroh is nearby. Azula is off to the side doing hand stand push ups.

"Again." Iroh commands and Zuko blasts fire from his hands at the guards, but misses.

The guards then attack Zuko with blasts of fire from their fists but Zuko dodges and back flips over the guards to land behind them.

"HA! HEEYA!" Zuko says but Iroh sighs and gets up.

"No!" he says shaking his head. "Power in firebending comes from the breath, not the muscles." He says pointing at Azula whose breathing is controlled even as she pushes her body to its limits. Iroh continues. "The breath becomes energy in the body. The energy extends past your limbs and becomes fire."

Iroh demonstrates by releasing a controlling plume of flame that bursts in front of Azula, but doesn't hurt her. "Get it right this time." Iroh says as Azula winks at him, trusting her uncle completely while Zuko sulks a bit.

"Enough." Zuko says. "I've been drilling this sequence all day." He says. "Teach me the next set. I'm more than ready."

Azula's snort is clearly heard.

"NO, you are impatient." Iroh says with a head shake. "You have yet to master your basics." He then gives the young prince a hard look. "Drill it again!"

Zuko annoyed blasts one of the guards backwards with a gout of fire. "The sages tell us that the Avatar is the last airbender. He must be over a hundred years old by now." Zuko glares at his uncle. "He's had a century to master the four elements. I'll need more than basic firebending to defeat him." Zuko says and narrows his eyes at his uncle. "You WILL teach me the advanced set!" he says with an edge of command.

Iroh shakes his head. "Very well. But first I must finish my roast duck." He goes back to his seat and begins eating.

Azula snickers and ignores her brothers glare.

"What are you laughing about?" Zuko demands.

Azula flips over and is on her feet. She grabs a towel from a servant that was nearby. "Uncle is right. If you don't have the basic's down then you'll fail miserably at the higher levels."

"I didn't ask you." Zuko said. "And you should be training as well. We can take down the Avatar together."

Azula shakes her head as she walks away. "I have something more important on my mind than chasing shadows brother dear." She sits down on Iroh's left.

"And what is that?" Zuko asks.

"Revenge." Azula says and puts a hand to her chest where both her Uncle and brother knew there was a scar there from their father.

XX

(Water Tribe Village)

Sokka is pacing back and forth before an audience he is framed by the setting sun.

"Now men, it's important that you show no fear when you face a firebender. In the Water Tribe, we fight to the last man standing. For without courage, how can we call ourselves men?"

The audience happens to be a group of six children, most of them are toddlers. One little boy raises his hand. "I gotta pee!"

"Listen! Until your fathers return from the war, they're counting on you to be the men of this tribe. And that means no potty breaks." Sokka says.

"But I really gotta go!" the little boy says.

Sokka turns at the tone of voice then sighs. "Okay…who else has to go?"

All six raise their hands as Sokka slaps his forehead in disgust as all six take this as a sign and hurry off. Katara comes from her brothers left side

"Have you seen Aang? Gran Gran said he disappeared over an hour ago." They see Aang emerging from a small igloo type bathroom where he adjusts his pants. They see him smile at the group of boys coming his way. He says something and they hear the shared laughter.

Sokka meanwhile is upset about losing his warriors. "Ugh! Katara, get him out of here. This lesson is for warriors only, not…whatever." Sokka says with a gesture of his hand.

They hear more laughter and peek over the wall to see a Appa with Aang on his back. His tail is propped up and using a makeshift sawhorse. A kid used Appa's back and tail as a slide to land in a pile of snow. The children and sook Katara are laughing.

"Stop! Stop it right now!" Sokka says rushing over. He looks at Aang. "What's wrong with you? We don't have time for fun and games with a war going on."

"What war?" Aang asks as he hops down off of Appa. "What are you talking about?"

Sokka looks at him as if he's stupid. "You're kidding right?"

Aang is about to answer, but his gaze shifts from Sokka to something behind the older boy.

"PENGUIN!" Aang shouts

The penguin aware that it has been spotted, makes an excited noise and turns to waddle away. Aang useshis airbending skills to run at an unbelievable speed towards the horizon where the penguin was seen heading for.

Sokka looks at his sister. "He's kidding, right?"

Katara shrugs and looks around. "Where's Naruto?"

**AN: posted. Due to father's health I've cut down five stories with alternating which I do, or more to the point which I'm in the mood for at the time. I hope when he's better and my mom doesn't need me as much I'll get back to my usual schedule then. Please don't bug for quick updates.**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Avatar.

Chapter 10

Naruto sat against the outer wall that shielded the Water Tribe village. He thought about his travels before he got here and he wondered how things would have been had his mother still been alive.

_What would she say and do about the Avatar? I know its him, but he's pretending to be just an airbender._

Naruto sighed again as he now had an answer to what had happened to the Avatar. _He's been frozen in ice all this time, but why? Mom said something about the Avatar missing from the air temple, wish I had listened more._ The blond kitsune thought.

He heard Sokka yelling in the distance. _It would be so easy to run away. Transform and just leave. Kana can't be serious and from what I've heard from some of the other women, she ran away from her betrothal, so how can she do this to her granddaughter?_

Naruto dropped the illusion that made him look normal and sighed. He longed for others of his kind, but in his travels he had seen no others like him. He missed his mother and cursed the Fire Nation for her death. His father while human had made his choices that lead to his death.

_Protecting a village and leaving your son alone._ Naruto didn't know if he should hate the man or respect him for his courage.

He sighed as he looked out over the horizon. _Mom…what should I do?_

He didn't get an answer but his gaze landed on Aang trying to catch a penguin and falls flat on his face.

Naruto chuckles and his hearing picks up Aang trying to convince the penguin to let him be used for sledding.

Naruto then notices Katara approaching the airbender and he wasn't happy with the amount of attention the girl was giving the younger boy. _Physically he's younger, but if we went by years, he's a hundred and twelve._ Naruto thought ignoring that he was jealous and he shifted to his fox form and crept closer to listen. Katara was laughing at Aang's impersonation of a penguin.

"I'll help you catch a penguin, if you help teach me waterbending." Katara offered.

"You got a deal!" Aang says. "Um just one little problem, I'm an airbender not a waterbender. And I thought Naruto was teaching you, at least that's what Sokka was telling me."

Katara looks away, a bit of sadness appears on her face. "He is…was. I just feel stupid when he shows me something and I mess it up or I should already know. And I'm technically the only waterbender in the South Pole."

"That isn't right." Aang says scratching his head and had his tongue sticking out the side of his mouth as he thought. "A waterbender needs to master water. What about the North Pole? Isn't there another water tribe up there? Maybe they have waterbenders who could teach you properly."

Naruto felt a growl in his chest at this as he looked on. He too was confused about the lack of benders in the tribe, but he really wasn't liking how Katara seemed to be taken in by the younger boy.

Naruto heard Katara tell Aang that they haven't had contact with the sister tribe in a long time.

"Ah, but you forget. I have a flying bison."

It took a lot of Naruto's self control not to break cover and bite the bald boy.

"I mean, Appa and I could fly you to the North Pole and help you find a master." Aang offered.

"I…I don't know." Katara said uncertain. "I mean, I've never left home before…"

"Well think about it." Aang says with a grin. "But in the meantime, could you teach me how to catch one of those penguins."

Naruto crept away.

XX

He'd made some distance from the village and he can hear the laughter of Aang coming closer and cursed the spirits that seemed to taunt him with the boy as Naruto currently wanted to put distance between them and think.

Naruto's ears swiveled as he heard Katara's laughter coming closer as well and Naruto swore the spirits hated him.

He looked away from where the laughter was coming from and saw the beached Fire Nation ship in the distance. He was thinking of checking it out when the laughter once more got closer.

He turns in time to crouch low in his fox form as Aang and Katara rocked off an ice bank, he saw they were each sitting atop of a penguin and they land and continue on below at high speed. Aang and his penguin take a jump off another small ramp of snow and ice, eventually landing in front of Katara. He hears them laugh and whoop happily.

_Perhaps her grandmother made a mistake in her reading. Perhaps Katara would be better off with Aang._ Naruto thinks.

"I haven't done this since I was a kid!" Katara calls out.

Aang gives her a funny look. "You still are a kid, unless you're a well preserved adult."

Naruto growled as he raced after them as they continued to rocket across the frozen landscape. He started to slide as he followed them into a system of ice tunnels. He growled as he slid, seeing gaps of sunlight that poured through some gaps.

Naruto slid to a stop in time to see them get off the penguins which stood up and waddled away making chirping noises and they staggered as if dizzy.

Naruto sees what has Aang's attention, it's the Fire Nation ship he'd seen from higher up.

"Whoa…what is that?" Aang asked awe in his voice telling Naruto the airbender never saw an iron ship before.

Naruto looked at the huge ship locked in the ice with the sun silhouetted behind it.

Katara gets a very serious expression on her face. "It's a Fire Navy ship, and it's a very bad memory for my people."

Naruto shakes his head as Aang seems to ignore her and walks towards the ship.

_Not like I didn't want to see it either, but Katara seems wary of it._ The kitsune thought as he slunk along, using small drifts to hide behind and off to the side of the pair.

"Aang Stop!" Katara calls out. "We're not allowed to go near it. The ship could be booby trapped."

Aang looks at her. "If you want to be a bender, you have to let go and face your fear.

_Idiot. It isn't fear, its caution._ Naruto growled in his mind.

Naruto from his position could now see the uncertainty, but she follows Aang into the ship and Naruto with a growl follows her.

They climb up the snow and ice around the hull and enter the ship through the gaping hole in one of the forward compartments that would have been below the water line if it was still in the water and not beached on the ice.

The walked around the dark corridors, for Naruto it was like twilight with his keen eyesight. He noticed that they passed many darkened and abandoned rooms.

Naruto kept low and doubted either Aang or Katara would notice him and he listened as Katara spoke, her voice was low, not of fear, but reverence.

"This ship has haunted my tribe since Gran Gran was a little girl. It was part of the Fire Nation's first attacks."

_Damn that was a long time ago._ Naruto thought.

"Okay, back up." Aang said stopping and looking at the older girl. "I have friends all over the world, even in the Fire Nation. I've never seen any war."

_If you are the Avatar, then you've been on ice for a hundred years and missed it all._ Naruto thought as he looked at the bald boy, feeling sorry for him at all he must have lost and how much has changed since he'd last been in the world.

It was Katara who had a small clue as well and asked, "Aang, how long were in that iceberg?"

Aang shrugged unconcerned. "I don't know…a few days, maybe a week?"

Katara shook her head. "I think it's been more like a hundred years."

Aang shook his head. "Impossible!" the boy shook his head in denial. "Do I look like a hundred-twelve year old man to you?"

Katara looked at him sadly. "Think about it. The war is a century old." She said. Naruto nodded at this. He knew what his mother would say, but he was still young enough that he couldn't speak in his fox form, so he listened.

Katara continued as she put a gloved hand on Aang's shoulder, it was one of comfort and Naruto didn't feel jealous at this as he knew it must be hard for the boy to hear. "Think about it. You don't know about it because somehow, you were in that iceberg that whole time. It's the only explanation." She finished.

The shock seems to hit Aang and he puts a hand to his head and staggers backwards as the implications begin to set in. stunned by this he slowly sinks to the floor.

He mutters " A hundred years! I can't believe it."

Katara kneels next to him. "I'm sorry, Aang. Maybe somehow there's a bright side to all of this."

Aang looks at her. "I did get to meet you."

Katara smiles. "See, there is a positive. Now come on. Let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps."

Naruto nods at this. The atmosphere was bleak and held depression. Naruto watched as Katara helped Aang to his feet and they started to walk again.

They take a turn and Aang enters a darkened room, Katara is behind him and Naruto is at her heel. She looks down spotting him and her eyes widen.

Naruto shakes his head and motions with his tail over his muzzle for her to keep quiet. She nodds and looks at Aang.

"Aang? Let's head back, this place is really creepy."

The airbender looks back at her, "Huh?" he turns and his foot hits a tripwire on the floor.

Behind them the door is blocked by a grate that drops from the ceiling, Naruto tackles Katara out of the way shifting in mid lunge as he takes her to the floor and out of the way. The grate just misses them as it falls shut, trapping them inside.

Aang blinks at seeing the blond, then looks at Katara. "What was that you said about booby traps?"

Naruto growls. "Only booby's get trapped."

Katara gives him a look even as around them, machinery starts to operate. Gauges start to move showing steam pressure and wheels begin to turn.

Steam pours out of some of the ancient equipment. They hear and see through a porthole as a bright flare explodes out of the ship and into the sky leaving a trail of smoke behind it.

Naruto looks around and realizes that they are on the ships bridge.  
"Uh oh." Aang says. "That can't be good."

"You think?" Naruto growls. "We need to get out of here."

"Look." Katara says and they see a hole in the ceiling as the flare reaches it zenith and explodes with a small shower of sparks.

Aang gets an idea and grabs Katara. "Hold on tight!"

Katara cries out in surprise as Aang launches the two of them through the hole in the ceiling. He lands with her in his arms on top of the bridge.

He puts her down and turns to help Naruto who leaps up and clears the hole without effort.

"Whoa. That was cool."

Naruto shrugs and prays there isn't a Fire Navy ship nearby or there would be trouble.

XX

(Fire Navy Ship)

Zuko stands with a telescope he'd gotten the moment he saw the flare. He traces its trajectory and sees Aang hopping down the ship and the ice which encases it to the ground below. He then moves it back and gasps.

"A Kitsune." Seeing the fox tail as Naruto follows Aang down the ship and ice with Katara in his arms.

The telescope is jerked from his hands and he is shoved aside. He looks on and his protests are ignored as Azula who had been behind him moved the moment her brother spoke the word.

"The last airbender." Zuko says. "He was quite agile for his old age." He looked to a soldier. "Wake my uncle! Tell him I found the Avatar, and he's got a Kitsune Guardian."

Zuko was going to ask for the telescope back, but Azula growled and the telescope was melted to slag in her hands.

He goes to get another one and by the time he's back he's lost sight of them, but he scans the horizon and spots a village.

"And his hiding place."

Azula ignores him as she stomps past and heads below deck. She reaches her cabin and slams the door shut and locks it. Her hands open her shirt and touch both first the bite mark on her collar bone, then the claw mark that started near her left shoulder and crossed her breast, stopping just past the sternum. "I've found you." She mutters, ignoring the blue fire that had engulfed her hands which she balled into fists.

"You won't escape me this time." Azula vowed. She didn't care what her brother did, but the blond kitsune would be hers. The determination that burned in her eyes were matched in her brothers scared visage above deck.

**AN: Hey, ended the first episode. Someone said I should do a chapter per episode. (shakes head) that would take me forever and I think my DVD player would hate me by the end. Like I've mentioned before I do six to eight pages minimum. If I do more you're lucky.**


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Avatar.

Chapter 11

Naruto and Katara were nearly butting heads.

"You're spying on me!" Katara snapped.

"Hardly. I was out exploring when you and your new _Boyfriend_ there intruded." Naruto countered.

He was angry, his tail was puffed up and there was a growl in his voice.

"He is not my boyfriend, and if you recall I'm betrothed to you!" Katara snapped out.

"How nice of you to remember." Naruto said.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Katara raged.

"Um, Gran-Gran?" Sokka asked, his anger at Aang forgotten as his sister and the kitsune had started an argument once they were out of sight of the rest of the village.

_Not like it matters with the way they are yelling._ Sokka thought.

"Aren't you going to stop them?" he asked pointing at the fighting pair.

Kana shook her head. "Its important that they learn to work it out on their own." She said giving them a look. She looked at the bones and nodded. _(It will be fine.)_ she thought.

Sokka blinked at what his Grandmother said as the pair were nearly snarling at one another nose to nose.

"Asking him to teach you bending!" Naruto snapped.

"What's wrong with that?" Katara demanded.

Naruto got a high tone as he mocked Katara. "_Oh, Aang I'm so embarrassed. Could you teach me?"_ he bats his eye lashes.

"I did not sound like that nor did I bat my eyes…YOU WERE SPYING ON ME!"

Sokka shook his head. He'd banished Aang from the village upon the bald boys return; which had set off a fight between Naruto and Katara when Katara said she was going with him.

"QUIET!" Sokka had heard enough.

"You both need to calm down before you say something you'll both regret. And I can't believe you two!"

Naruto and Katara crossed their arms and turned away from one another.

"How could you just let him go?" Katara demanded.

"Let him go?" Naruto asked his back to her. "Your brother kicked him out."

Sokka blinked as they both turned their heads and looked at him. he felt like a little fish that was surrounded by a herd of very hungry penguins.

"Why is this my fault?" Sokka demanded. "He's dangerous."

"It was an accident." Naruto and Katara both stated at the same time. They shared a look and all was forgiven as they found common ground.

Kana smiled as she knew that the pair would have ups and downs.

_(They are young. They'll survive their fights and come out of it stronger.)_ She thought.

"What do we do now?" Katara asked looking at Naruto.

He sighed. "I do need to find him." he shot a look at Kana who just gave him that creepy old lady smile that he knew meant that she knew exactly what was going on and would watch and laugh at his failures in the way all old people seemed to laugh at the attempts of the young.

Sokka walked out muttering about insane sisters and her equally insane Kitsune betrothed.

XX

Katara looked at Naruto once Gran-Gran and Sokka had gone. "I messed up."

"Me too." He said. "And I wasn't spying on you." He said and she gave a laugh. "Okay." She looked away.

"Katara." Naruto said.

"Yeah?" she looked at him and he reached out and took her hands. "Why are you embarrassed from getting help from me? I wasn't a bad teacher….was I?"

"No…No you aren't a bad teacher." she shook her head. "Its stupid now." she said and looked down at their hands. "I didn't want you to be disappointed in me. You made it seem so easy…"

Naruto chuckled. "I've been bending elements since I was little, hell even before I could walk from what my mother told me. You shouldn't compare what I do to what you do. Hell Katara, you've trained yourself and that is extraordinary in how much you've learned on your own without a teacher."

Katara looked at him and realized how her actions looked. "I am sorry. I just…"

"Get focused and you get tunnel vision." Naruto said and she nodded as he gave a light laugh.

"(sigh) I do need to find Aang." Naruto said. Katara almost offered to go with him when there was yelling from outside and the pair shared a look before rushing out to see what was happening.

XX

Sokka looked at Gran-Gran who gave him a knowing smile. "I don't get girls." He said to her.

Kana laughed. "We're even a mystery to ourselves sometimes. And figuring out your sister will be up to Naruto."

Sokka shook his head. "I need to get ready. That flare will have drawn attention."

Kana watches her grandson go. "May the spirits watch over you all." She thought. The bones had warned her and now she could only watch.

Sokka came out dressed in his armor and carrying weapons. He climbed the wall and looked out over the horizon as mist rises. A deep rumbling is heard and the ground begins to shake. Parts of the wall that Sokka is standing on begins to crack and crumble.

Many of the villagers look around in alarm. Sokka's guard tower collapses in a heap.

"Oh man." Sokka whines in disappointment.

Chaos breaks out as people begin to run in every direction. Naruto and Katara step out of the tent and stop as the whole area is bathed in mist. They spot Sokka atop the wall and a massive shadow moves out of the mist dwarfing Sokka even more.

"Aw crap." Naruto mutters. "A Fire Nation ship."

Sokka sees it and winces. "Ohhh man!"

XX

Aboard the ship Zuko stands at the bow with Azula stand in their armor as their ship cuts through the ice all the way to the city wall itself. "We've got him." Zuko says.

Azula says nothing as her eyes scan the fog for the flash of blond. Her eyes narrowing as she vowed not to fail this time.

XX

Katara grabs Gran-Gran and shoves her into one of the tents towards the back even as Naruto grabs one of the little children out of harms way as the ice floor of the village begins to crack all over the place due to the stress of the ship forcing its way in.

Naruto after securing the child in a tent turns to find Katara who is making her way towards Sokka who is poised in his opinion comically while he knew his brother in-law was probably looking for tragically to attack the ships hull with his weapons.

"SOKKA! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Katara yells at her bonehead of a brother.

Her yell comes too late as the ship reaches the wall, forcing it to collapse in a heap of ice and snow which tumbles back into the village carrying Sokka with it even as the ship comes to a halt, steam wafts from where the bow of the ship has split the ice.

The villagers start to emerge from their shelters, Katara and Naruto in front, many of them staring in fear and amazement at the ship.

Naruto looks at Katara who slips her hand into his as she takes a deep breath to steady her nerves.

Sokka looks up at the ship and draws in his own deep breath even as the sound of metal on metal fills the air, the bowsprit of the ship opens and folds out and down onto the village floor making a huge gangplank. This of course had Sokka fall back to avoid being crushed.

As the steam clears fro the top of the ramp the villagers see Zuka and a host of Fire Nation soldiers.

Naruto sees a very familiar face and makes sure his illusion is in place that makes him look like a member of the tribe.

_(Spirits, you're laughing at me. You keep putting her in my path.)_ he thought.

Naruto is pulled out of his thoughts as Zuko walks down the gangplank followed by several guards.

Before anyone can say anything, Sokka gets up and charges at Zuko with an adolescent war cry.

He makes it halfway up the gangplank where Zuko casually and expertly kicks Sokka's weapons out of his hands, then kicks him in the face sending him sprawling into the ice and snow to the right of the gangplank where he gets his head stuck in the snow as he struggles to get free.

The villagers fall back in fright at the ease in which their only warrior had been dispatched by the invaders.

The Fire Nation soldiers spread out as Zuko steps forward his gaze passing over the crowd and lands on Katara, Kana and Naruto.

"Where are you hiding him?" Zuko demands. He growls when he doesn't get an immediate response. He grabs Kana and shows her to the villagers.

"He'd be about this age, Master of the elements?" he says shaking Gran-Gran as he looked from villager to villager and yet again no one responds.

_(I don't think they're looking for me.)_ Naruto thinks relaxing a bit. He watches as the scar marked teen shoves Kana back at him and Katara roughly, before snarling in frustration he launches a gout of flame over the villagers heads, they cower back in fear.

"I know you're hiding him!" Zuko snarls

Behind Zuko, Sokka gets up his face paint gone due to the snow and ice. He retrieves his weapon and charges at Zuko with another cry.

Zuko spins to face him with annoyance, he dodges the attack and flips Sokka over his head.

Zuko fires a blast of flame at Sokka, but Sokka shows some skill as he rolls out of the way and manages to throw his boomerang at Zuko as he does.

Caught by surprise Zuko barely avoids the thrown weapon and turns to look back in anger at Sokka.

Behind Sokka a little boy emerges from the crowd of villagers and throws him a spear.

"Show no fear!" the child tries to rally his hero.

Sokka catches the spear and charges at Zuko who breaks off pieces of the spear shaft with his wrist guard after sidestepping the attack. After the head of the spear is shorn off, Zuko grabs the spear and boinks Sokka on the forehead with it several times.

Zuko then breaks it in half and drops the pieces to the ground wit Sokka who sunk to the ground after getting bonked on the head.

Sokka looks up at Zuko who stands over him sternly. In the sky the boomerang finally made its return and slams into the back of Zuko's head knocking his helmet off kilter.

Zuko furious begins to generate fire out of his hands as he hovers menacingly over Sokka.

Azula's laughter draws his attention and a scowl.

"Well if you haven't seen an old man that my darling brother has described, how about a blond kitsune? No? How about a fox then?" she says stepping down the gangplank.

The villagers look at her blankly and Naruto barely manages to keep from fidgeting by holding onto Kana as if helping her to keep her footing after being roughly handled by Zuko.

_(Please don't look too close at me.)_ Naruto thought. His illusion made him look like some of the villagers with dark hair and skin.

"You there." Naruto winces as Azula approaches. She however is looking at Katara. "Have you seen any foxes around here? A kitsune?"

Katara bless her soul looks at her blankly. "Foxes are extinct, and what's a kitsune, aren't they a legend?"

"Young lady, you know there are no kitsunes, the Fire Nation wiped them out nearly a hundred years ago." Kana added.

Azula narrowed her eyes. She knew that he was here. She could practically feel it. She turned and looked at the man holding onto Kana, and dismissed him.

Naruto mentally breathed a sigh of relief as she turned away.

It looked like the Fire Nation was about to leave when it all went south.

A shadow passed overhead and Naruto groaned as Aang riding on a penguin slid to a stop with his staff in hand after sweeping Zuko's legs out from under him and getting him to land with his butt in the air and his helmet landing atop of that.

The children cheer at the return of Aang. Naruto groans. _(Spirits, you couldn't have kept him away for another fifteen minutes?)_

Aang hops off the penguin that gets up looks at Aang then turns and waddles away.

"Hey Sokka. Hey Katara. Hey Naruto." Aang greets them happily.

Naruto groans as Azula looks at him once more, her eyes narrowing.

"Aang." Naruto growls.

"Hi Aang. Thanks for comin'." Sokka says dryly

Zuko has taken a firebending stance.

Aang seeing the soldiers surrounding him and closing in, he blows them backwards with blasts of air. he tries to blast Zuko as well, but he manages to hold his ground and shields his face from the wind.

"Looking for me?" Aang asks innocently.

Zuko looks at the boy that is younger than him, an incredulous expression comes over his face. "You're the airbender? You're the Avatar?"

Katara looks shaken.

"No way." Sokka says

Naruto meanwhile is keeping his eyes on Azula whose gaze hasn't left him since the bald headed boy arrived and said the name she knew so well.

Zuko and Aang begin to maneuver for position in the middle of the village that has now become an arena.

"I've spent years preparing for this encounter." Zuko spits. "Training. Meditating. You're just a child!"

"Yeah…well, you're just a teenager." Aang fires back.

The insult may have sounded lame, but it causes Zuko to fire blast after blast. Aang cries out and he is hard pressed, fear showing on his face. He manages to dissipate each blast as it strikes by twirling his staff in front of him like a propeller blade. The dissipation doesn't block the fire from reaching the villagers though and they cry out in fear. Aang realizes he can't keep this up and protect them all.

"If I go with you, will you promise to leave everyone alone?" Aang asked lowering his staff.

Zuko for a moment stays in his firebending stance, then straigtens up and nods stiffly.

A soldier walks up and takes Aang's staff and leads him to the ship.

Katara rushes forward a few steps. "No, Aang! Don't do this."

Aang looks at her. "Don't worry Katara, it'll be okay." He manages to say before the Fire Nation soldiers push him forward roughly. "Take care of Appa for me until I get back."

Zuko meanwhile has a grin on his face as he gives orders. "Head a course for the Fire Nation. We're going home."

He looks at his sister who is still looking at one of the villagers. "Azula, come on. We're finally going home."

She doesn't move for a moment, then her hands emit blue fire and she holds a dagger of flame inches from Katara's face. The girls eyes widen in fear.

"Whatever it is you're doing, drop the illusion. I know its you."

Naruto closes his eyes and the illusion melts away.

"Don't."

"You're coming with us as well." Azula says, her voice a growl.

Zuko meanwhile is looking on in surprise. _(A kitsune. A real live kitsune!)_

Naruto looks into Azula's eyes and sees that she will follow through with her threat and he slumps his shoulders. "Fine."

He steps forward, but Katara steps around Azula. "Naruto?" she says.

"It'll be fine." he looks at Azula a moment. "Stay safe…stay happy."

He walks up the gangplank without looking back. Azula right behind him. Aang looks back at his new friends as the ship bow closes.

Katara's eyes water as the prison of metal closes around Aang and Naruto, she drops to her knees as the ship begins to pull away.

Kana puts a hand on her granddaughters shoulders.

"No!" Katara says as tears fall, all the members of her tribe can do is watch.

**AN: (Sigh) I've had this on file for a while now, but with my dad's health I haven't had a lot of time to type it up and its sat in my notebook. I was going to do more, but figured you all have waited long enough.**


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto nor Avatar.

Chapter 12

"Are you out of your mind?" Sokka demanded.

He took several steps back as Katara grabbed his war club and held it under his nose.

The look on her face was one he never hoped to see aimed at him. _(I bet dad would flee seeing that look on Katara's face.)_ the young Water Tribe warrior told himself as his sister went back to her preparations.

Appa had shown up shortly after the Fire Nation's ship had left.

_(Left with Aang and Naruto.)_ Sokka felt bad for the bald head little kid, but he was more concerned with the blond kitsune that his sister was going after.

"Will you stop and think about it!" Sokka tried, then turned as their grandmother entered the tent

"Gran-Gran, thank the spirits. You can talk Katara out of this insane plan of hers to storm the Fire Nation ship and rescue Naruto."

Kana looked at her grandson a moment. "Katara dear." She began and Sokka's sigh of relief became a yelp when Kana said, "Don't forget to pack bandages and ointments. No telling what the Fire Nation will do to them."

Katara nodded. "Thanks Gran. Can you make sure Appa is ready, I asked Sokka but he's too busy whining to do anything I asked him to do." The last came out a growl and Sokka was backing up even before Gran-Gran grabbed him by the arm and dragged him from the tent.

"Gran-Gran…she's gone insane!" Sokka started.

"Go pack." Kana told him. he looked at her. "WHAT?"

"You will be going with her and help her." Kana said. "You are our only warrior and her older brother."

Sokka swallowed whatever he was going to say and went to his own tent. Kana sighed and looked at the large sky bison. "You better be up to the task. Your master's life depends on it."

Appa let out a groan and a huff.

XX

(Fire Nation Ship, Hold)

Azula looked at the blond that was spread eagle held in the air by chains attached to his arms, legs and tail.

She saw the lash marks were already healing and growled. "Who did this?" she demanded looking over her shoulder towards the door.

The soldiers that had moments ago been proud of themselves for showing some initiative backed up in fear. The Princesses temper was legendary amongst the crew. So they did what any self respecting soldier would. They shoved one of their own forward and before the poor masked fool could utter a sound he was burned to a crisp, engulfed in blue flames.

"No one." Azula snarled, her eyes showing her rage. "No one but I am to enter this room. AM I CLEAR?"

"Azula?"

She turned and saw her brother standing there with a look of concern and questions on his scarred face. Behind them their uncle Iroh had a raised eyebrow and she wanted to wipe the knowing smirk from his wrinkled face.

"Nothing to see here." She snarled and returned to the hold and slammed the door shut with a clang.

The soldiers scattered like roaches leaving the prince and general looking at the sealed doorway.

Back in the hold Azula strode forward her eyes took in the wounds, which were nearly healed. She took a deep breath and looked at the blond who was looking at her now.

Her gold eyes met his blue ones and there were many things left unsaid.

"You ran." Azula finally said.

"I had no choice." Naruto rebutted.

"You did." Azula said keeping her distance despite him being bound, or because of it. "I would have protected you."

"Not from your father." Naruto said.

Azula looked away first.

"Azula…"

"Don't say my name like that!" She hissed.

Naruto sighed then remained quiet.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why?" Naruto echoed.

"All you had to do was stay hidden in my chambers. But no, you had to save those peasants." Azula snarled.

"Because it was the right thing to do."

"THE RIGHT THING TO DO WOULD HAVE BEEN FOR YOU TO STAY HIDDEN!" She yelled and blue flames exploded from her fists on either side of Naruto, barely missing him.

"Six months. Do you know that in six months you changed me in ways that I couldn't go back to being who I was. I made peace with Zu-Zu."

Naruto gave her a smile at that.

"And then you left, my father found out I had been hiding you and he challenged me to Agni Kai not even a day after he abused Zuko, I was next."

She opened her top and Naruto's eyes looked at the burn scar that was shaped like a claw.

"Oh…Azula." He said his voice edged with sadness.

"He spotted this." She gestured to the bite mark. "And he banished me with Zuko. My disgrace was complete."

Naruto tilted his head down. "Now what?"

Azula looked away, crossing her arms over her chest. "I have no choice. I must give you to my father."

"I…I understand." Naruto said.

Azula left the room and Naruto sagged in his bonds. _(I heard rumors, but I never thought the Fire Lord would do that to his own daughter.)_ the whisker marked blond thought sadly.

XX

(Another part of the ship)

"So, you guys never fought an airbender before, have you?" Aang asks the guards who are escorting him to his cell.

"I could take you both with my hands tied behind my back."

"Silence!" the first guard snarls.

They stop in front of a door. As one of the guards moves to open the door with a key, Aang takes a deep breath and blows the guards with the key into the door knocking him out. The breath also propels him backwards and into the guard behind him. they continue all the way back down the hallway where they crash into the stairs they came down on. The guard is knocked out since Aang used him to cushion his own impact.

Aang airbends himself back up onto the deck and airbends the door at the end of the deck open, he then rushes into the ship and runs down another hallway.

Behind him one of the guards he escaped from emerges and shouts to the guards on the bridge.

"THE AVATAR HAS ESCAPED!"

XX

Appa is swimming through the water with Katara at the reigns and Sokka on his back in the saddle.

"Come on. Go…Fly…Soar." Sokka says with a dreary tone.

"Please Appa! We need your help. Aang and Naruto need your help." Katara begs the bison.

"Up…Ascend…Elevate." Sokka keeps trying from his perch.

Katara leaned in and mock whispered to the sky bison. "Sokka doesn't believe you can fly. But I do, Appa." She tries coaxing him. "Come on. Don't you want to save Aang?"

Appa rumbles in response but doesn't speed up or fly.

"What was it that the kid said?" Sokka mutters. "Yee-ha? Hup-hup? Wahoo?" Sokka is saying the words, "Uh…yip-yip?"

This last one gets a response from Appa as he rumbles again and begins to flop his massive beaver tail. He begins to hop along the surface of the water as he picks up speed. Finally with a might heave, Appa takes off into the sky.

"You did it Sokka!" Katara says ecstatic that her brother finally got the bison airborne.

"He's flying! He's flying! Katara, he's…" Sokka says but noticing his sisters smug look continues nonchalantly, "I mean…big deal, he's flying."

As the bison flies high into the horizon.

XX

(Fire Nation Ship)

Aang is running down one of the ship's hallways looking behind him for pursuers. His hands are still bound behind him. he turns around and starts running forward only to crash into three Fire Nation soldiers blocking his way with their weapons drawn.

"(panting) You haven't seen my stadd around have you? Or a blond kitsune perhaps?" Aang asks before running forward and up and around the guards by running along the walls and ceiling in corkscrew like circles, getting past them with ease and they can only look on at his retreating form with surprise.

"THANKS ANYWAY!" Aang yelled over his shoulder before he runs into another hallway, this time his path is blocked by a single guard who blasts a fireball at him. Aang managed to avoid it by launching himself over the guards head, and as he does, he is able to cut his wrist bonds by catching them on the horn of the guards helmet.

The bonds break and the guard is thrown off balance and lands on the ground.

Aang, his hands now free runs opening several random doors as he goes by. The last door he opens reveals a snoring Iroh.

"Sorry." Aang whispers and he closes the door softly.

He runs past another open door, then stops and backs up to it.

"My staff!" Aang says with a grin and enters the room, but the door slams shut behind him revealing Zuko who had been hiding in wait for him.

"Looks like I underestimated you." Zuko says with his eyes narrowed.

There is a brief pause before Zuko begins blasting fire at Aang, who barely manages to dodge. He is terrified as he gasps and pants to catch his breath. After dodging several more shots, Aang rolls underneath Zuko to get behind him.

By standing behind him, Zuko is unable to blast him with fire but tries, and spins away. Aang is once again facing Zuko and he uses a small air ball he formed with his hands to dissipate each fireball Zuko sends at him.

Aang creates another airball and rides it like a scooter around the walls and ceiling of the room, all the time getting licked by the gouts of flame Zuko unleashes at him. Aang terminates the airball and grabs a tapestry off the wall and wraps Zuko up as he passes.

While Zuko struggles against the tapestry, Aang is able to grab his staff just as Zuko breaks his bonds and they once more square off against each other.

After several moments of maneuvering, Aang airbends a mattress up off the floor and slams it into Zuko and propels him into the opposite wall. He is smashed into it and falls to the ground, landing on the mattress. Aang then airbends the mattress up into wall and smashing Zuko into it again. Both then fall to the ground, Zuko looks up in anger only to find that Aang is gone.

XX

Naruto looks up as the door to his cell opens.

"Sounds like trouble." He says. Azula shuts the door. "Quiet. Seems like the Avatar has managed to escape and is giving my brother a merry chase around the ship."

Naruto looks at Azula and noticed that she had changed her clothes. "You still have them." He remarks.

Azula looks down and then her eyes meet his. "Do you know what you do to me?" she asks and before Naruto can answer she crosses the distance and captures his lips with her own.

XX

Back above deck a wheel mechanism that opens a deck hatch on the floor begins to spin. The hatch pops open and Aang airbends himself onto the bridge from below. He rushes forward out onto the bridges observation deck. "Naruto?" he calls out.

Shaking his head he opens his glider, throws it into the air and jumps after it. He catches it, a happy expression on his face.

Unfortunately, right behind him is Zuko who jumps after him in pursuit, letting loose a fierce cry of desperation he manages to grab Aang's foot which drags him to the deck.

Both get up and square off yet again. Aang sporting a look of trepidation is tempered as he turns to look over his left shoulder to see Appa in the sky gaining on Zuko's ship.

Zuko spots it. "What is that?"

"Appa!" Aang says with joy seeing his long time friend, but he senses danger and turns just in time to use his staff to block a fire blast from Zuko.

Thinking quickly he uses his staff as a helicopter to escape the blasts and comes back down at the edge of the deck, nearly falling overboard before he regains his balance and blow three more fireballs away before his staff is knocked away from him.

He dodges a few more blasts before he finally knocked overboard and into the water below.

"Aang NO!" Katara is close enough now that her voice is heard even as Aang sunk below the water.

Katara's calling his name is heard by him and suddenly his eyes and tattoo's glow white hearing Katara's scream of his name. An expression of determination forms on his face. As he turns around in the water and begins to rise towards the surface.

Around him a mighty whirlpool of water begins to form.

Aang is at the center of a now monstrous inverted tornadoof water is propelled towards the surface at an amazing speed. He breaks the surface in front of the ship, towering high over the bridge atop his swirling maelstrom of water.

Zuko looks up at the swirling column of water and the Avatar at its pinnacle with dismay and a hint of fear.

Aang lands on the deck, his eyes still aglow and bends the water from the column around him in a circle. He releases it and it expands outward in a shockwave that blasts Zuko and the gathered soldiers overboard.

Sokka and Katara witness this from atop Appa's back.

"Did you see what he just did?" she asks, her voice telling all how incredulous she thought it was.

Sokka meanwhile had a huge grin. "Now that was some waterbending!"

Aang on the foredeck is on his knees, wobbling after the huge amount of ebery he expended.

He slumps forward, the white energy fading from his eyes and tattoos. Appa lands nearby, Katara and Sokka leap off to retrieve him.

"Aang? Are you okay?" Katara asks as she reaches him, she then looks around. "Where is Naruto?"

Sokka holds Aang up

"Hey Katara. Hey Sokka. Thanks for coming." Aang says in an exhausted voice. "I'm not sure where Naruto is, I haven't seen him since we were brought aboard."

"Well we couldn't let you guys have all the glory of kicking Fire Nation tail." Sokka said with a huge grin.

"I dropped my staff." Aang says, his voice getting a bit slurry.

"Don't worry, we've got it." Sokka says even as Katara retrieved it. He watches as his sister picks it up but is shocked when Zuko is holding the other end that was hangng overboard, and it is what kept Zuko from hitting the water below when Aang washed him overboard.

Katara snarls and with a shove butts Zuko in the head with the end of the staff three times making a hollowed _Doink!_ Sound with each blow, Zuko lets go and begins to fall.

Sokka smirks at his sister. "HA! That's from the Water Tribe!"

Appa gets up from where he landed and shakes off some of the water he lets out a growl as some of the guards who had been washed down the deck by Aang's waterbending are getting up and preparing for combat.

Katara uses her skills that she had learned with Naruto's help to pick up a stream of water from the deck and she mentally smiles as the guards pull back a bit in fear. She tries to whip the guards with the water, but instead freezes the water on the deck including the water around Sokka's feet behind her.

"KATARA!" Sokka wails even as Aang laughs at the sight.

Sokka begins to chip away the ice holding his feet with his boomerang while the soldiers are moving forward once again.

Katara picks up another stream of water and throws it at the soldiers without looking. They are now frozen in a thin sheet of ice.

"I need to find Naruto." She says as Aang helps Sokka.

Katara takes several steps at a time, she opens door after door and finally reaches the end of a corridor, the door is locked.

She huffs and uses some water that washed down the stairs from Aang's earlier attack. She directs it at the door even as Aang and Sokka join her. the water freezes the door and without asking, Katara grabs Sokka's war club and hits the door, shattering it.

"Naruto, we're here to…" the words die on her lips as she finds the Fire Nation girl from earlier kissing Naruto who is still chained.

Azula realizes that someone is in the room and turns, a snarl on her lips before she is sent across the room, pinned to the wall by a sheet of ice.

"Oh…hey Katara." Naruto says, his fox like ears drooping. He sees Sokka and Aang standing in the doorway, their jaws hanging nearly to the floor at what they'd seen.

"Don't hey Katara me." She snarls and water rushes from the hall and impacts with the chains holding Naruto and freeze them. Katara smashes them with the borrowed war club. "Let's go."

She turns to see Naruto looking back at the frozen Azula. "Naruto."

He nod and makes it to the doorway. _(I'm sorry Azula. I hope you find your way.)_ he's out the door and up the stairs even as Azula raises her body temperature and the ice around her melts.

"GAAAAAAAAA!!" she lets out a roar as a jet of fire explodes from her hands.

She races up the stairs in time to see four figures atop the flying bison flying away. She turns to see her uncle helping Zuko back up on deck.

"Shoot them down!" Zuko commands.

Zuko, Iroh and Azula unite to launch a massive bolt of fire at Appa.

Katara and Sokka look behind them in horror at the approaching fireball.

Aang leaps from Appa's head and holds his staff like a baseball bat ready to swing, but Naruto with a swipe of his tail sends a gale of wind that sends the fireball away from Appa and into the cliff nearby where it explodes, releasing a huge amount of ice from the cliff wall which falls into the narrow channel that Zuko's ship is navigating.

On the deck Zuko gasps in horror as the bow of the ship is buried under an avalanche of ice which also blocks the whole channel.

"Well at least there is some good news for the Fire Lord. The nation's greatest threat is just a little kid." Iroh mutters.

"That kid, Uncle just did this!" Zuko gestures to the heavily damaged and buried bow of the ship. I won't underestimate him again." Zuko turns and starts issuing orders. "Dig this ship out and follow them!"

Several soldiers begin to use controlled firebending to thaw out their fellow soldiers that were frozen by Katara.

Zuko adds. "As soon as you're done with that."

Iroh looks at Azula who has been strangely silent. Her back to him, he is unaware of the look in her eyes as she watches Appa and his passengers fly off into the sunset

XX

Naruto slumps, even as Katara is questioning Aang, his blue eyes land on the Avatar, thankfully for now Katara is distracted by what she'd seen the younger boy do and now wanting answers.

"How did you do that? With the water? It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen."

Aang who is sitting cross legged on the bridge of the saddle is sporting a sad expression. "I don't know. I just sort of…did it."

"Why didn't you tell us you were the Avatar?" Katara asks.

"Because I never wanted to be." Aang said as his shoulders slumped.

"But Aang, the world's been waiting for the Avatar to return and finally put an end to this war."

Aang looks down and his voice becomes softer. "And how am I going to do that?"

"According to legend you need to first master water, then earth, then fire, right?" Katara asks.

Aang shrugs. "That's what the monks told me."

"Well, if we go to the North Pole you can master waterbending.

Aang looks up and smiles. "We can learn together."

Naruto mentally scowled, but kept quiet.

"And Sokka I'm sure you'll get to knock some firebender heads on the way." Katara offered. She knew her brother wanted to return home, but she wasn't above bribing him. her eyes landed on Naruto who had been quiet.

He sighed. "I go where the Avatar goes."

"Don't sound like that." Sokka said putting an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "Look at it this way it could be fun."

Naruto nodded, but he knew that sooner or later he'd have to explain Azula to Katara. _(Hopefully later, way later.)_

"Then we're in this together."

Aang with a huge grin that Naruto was surprised the kid didn't swallow his own head pulled out a scroll. "All right, but before I learn waterbending, we have some serious business to attend to." he tells them before he airbends himself over to them and opens the scroll to reveal a map. "Here…here and here." He points to two spots on the Earth Kingdom and one spot on the southern Air Nomad islands in quick succession.

"What's there?" Katara asked.

Aang grins and points to the eastern Earth Kingdom. "We'll ride the hopping Llamas. Then waaaaaay over here…" he points to a spot on the southern Air Nomads islands. "We'll surf on the back of giant koi fish. Then back over here we'll ride the hog-monkeys. They don't like people riding them, but that's what makes it fun!"

Naruto shook his head. "You have responsibilities and you want to…" he stops and with a growl transforms into his fox form and curls up ignoring the bald headed boy.

"What? Is there something you want to do?"

Appa flies into the clouds while the others talk.

**AN: well finally getting there on motivation. Next time we peek into the "Southern Air Temple" episode and Katara has some questions for Naruto about Azula. Later y'all.**


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Avatar and I am not making any profit from this so you won't get anything.

Chapter 13

Azula stood at the bow of the ship growling in anger, as the repairs were taking far too long. Her hands were clenched at her sides with blue flames sparking from them to the metal deck below her feet.

Behind her she could hear her brother and uncle arguing who was going to approach her. she didn't care, her gaze was on the direction the flying bison had gone and taken her kitsune away from her.

"Um…Azula…." Her brother apparently had lost the argument and was pushed towards her by their uncle.

He stopped when jets of flame erupted from her clenched fists and impacted with the steel deck beneath her feet.

"Um, whenever you want to talk." Zuko said and backed away. She heard him mutter to their Uncle. "Are you sure its not that time of the month?" Her fist clenched tighter.

XX

The sun rising over a lake where Appa and his passengers are on the lakeshore. Sokka is asleep in a Water Tribe sleeping bag on the ground. Appa is standing nearby grazing slowly while a small fire casts a plume of smoke. Aang is on Appa's head while Katara is in the passenger section working on something, her eyes scanning around every so often for the last member of their group who had disappeared with the rising sun. Aang was adjusting the reins and talking animatedly. "Wait 'til you see it Katara. The Air Temple is one of the most beautiful places in the whole world." The airbender said.

"Aang, I know you're excited, but its been a hundred years since you've been home." Katara said cautiously.

"But that's why I'm so excited." Aang said.

Katara shook her head. "Its just that a lot can change in all that time." She tried to get him to calm down and realize things were different.

"I know Katara. But I need to see it for myself for it to really sink in." Aang said fiddling with the reins. He then gets a grin and floats down from Appa's back and walks over to Sokka who is snoring peacefully in his sleeping bag.

"WAKE UP SOKKA!" Aang cheers. "Air Temple here we come!"

Sokka awakens making several groggy sounds. "Sleep now…temple later." He mutters and rolls over and begins to snore again.

Aang blinks and he furrows his brow, not pleased with the results. He develops a mischievous grin as he developed an idea.

Katara watches from atop Appa's back as Aang picks up a stick. She shakes her head and looks around for a certain Kitsune, wonder where he was.

XX

Naruto was stretched out on a tree branch, his mind going over seeing Azula again. _(What am I doing?)_ he thought. His mind went to Katara and he knew she would want answers. _(Answers I'm not sure I can give her.)_ he rubbed a hand over his face and yawned having not slept all night. Ever since the escape from the Fire Nation ship Aang had been chatting non-stop. Naruto had been quiet and had remained in his fox form, afraid of the words that would be said if he returned to his humanoid form.

"Azula." He muttered as his mind locked on the wound her own father had given her that nearly reached the bite mark he'd given her one night when both had been drinking and he had thought she smelled…

_(I need to stop thinking about that. She has to turn me over to her father and I am engaged…betrothed to Katara.)_ a part of his mind was telling that he marked Azula first, but he ignored it as he knew that could only lead to more pain. _(Fire Nation killed my mother, it would never have worked out.)_ he thought. With a sigh and a shake of his head he leapt from the branch and landed on the ground.

"Better make sure Katara's okay." He muttered not liking how Aang kept looking at her, ignoring his inner voice that kept whispering "Azula" at him.

He shook his head while leaping down. A shriek told him that Katara had found him a lot sooner than he would have found her.

"Naruto!" Katara scolded while holding a hand to her chest due to the fright he gave her by landing in front of her.

At his look she wagged a finger at him and scolded. "We were worried about you, you know." Then she put her hands on her hips. "Disappearing like that and not telling me where you went. What if something happened to you?"

Naruto in his fox form gave a snort at that and started to walk away.

"Don't you snort at me in that tone…and turn into your human form and talk to me." Katara said.

Naruto stopped and huffed before he seemed to blur and where there was the fox now stood Naruto.

He looked at Katara and her blue eyes locked with his.

"We need to talk." He finally said. "I need to tell you…" Naruto was cut off as Katara put her hand over his mouth.

"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to." Katara said and Naruto nearly took her up on it. Shaking his head he knew that he had to tell her about Azula. _(For a measure of safety at least. I can't let her go unwarned any longer and Azula if I know her and I do won't give up.)_

Naruto led her over to a fallen tree and motioned for Katara to sit down. "I don't want to tell you…but I have to. the woman on the Fire Nation ship…"

XX

"Sokka!"

The lump that was Sokka grunted as the stick poked him again. "Go away before I shove that stick somewhere."

Aang paused and finally got what Sokka meant hid the stick behind his back. "Wake up!"

Sokka grunted and rolled away while still wrapped in his sleeping bag.

Aang furrowed his brow then got a devious grin.

XX

"Say something." Naruto said after he finished his story. Katara was quiet the whole time and when he finished he saw she wasn't looking at him.

Katara stood and started to walk away.

"Katara?" Naruto said his gut was clenching as he watched her.

"We need to get going. Aang wants to head towards the Southern Air Temple." She said before vanishing into the surrounding foliage.

Naruto hung his head and in an instant he was replaced by his fox form and he slowly made his way after his betrothed.

XX

Appa was airborne with a quiet group. Sokka who had been moved into the passenger saddle by Aang was still wrapped in his sleeping bag. Aang was atop Appa's head chattering away to Katara who was looking out over the horizon her mind far from the topics that Aang was talking about.

Naruto was at the furthest he could be in his fox form. His mind like Katara's was nowhere near where they were or where they were going.

XX

(Fire Nation Ship)

"FULL SPEED AHEAD!" Azula roared as she spotted the flying bison with the telescope.

"Princess…"

"I don't want to hear it Uncle." She snarled.

"But the men are exhausted. They worked non-stop to repair…" Iroh stepped back when Azula looked at him. "I don't care if they drop where they're working. I will have Na-the Kitsune and I will flay anyone that contradicts me. Am I clear Uncle?"

Iroh swallowed his words and nodded. "Good." Azula snarled as her eyes went to the horizon. _(I will catch you Naruto.)_ she thought while her hand went to the mark he'd given her what seemed so long ago ignoring the _mark_ her father gave her as she thought about a happier time.

XX

(In the Air)

Sokka was glaring at the other three passengers from the safety of his bedroll, which he had secured tightly around himself, every so often he would mutter about insane benders.

Naruto was in his fox form and every so often he would peek and Katara.

"This will be great." Aang was saying, obvious to his companions moods.

In the distance peeking through the clouds they could see the outlines of the temple.

Naruto knew what they would find. He'd been here once before. He kept quiet as Aang needed to learn that the world wasn't nice and the evils that men could do.

_(I just hope it's the right decision. My track record as of late hasn't been the greatest.)_ the kitsune thought. Katara looked at him and he mentally winced at the look in her eyes. _(Its not like she can read y thoughts…I mean if she could I'd be a smear after a couple of dreams I've had.)_

**AN: The Temple continues next time. And bothering me about when this will be updated doesn't help. Asking me if this is abandoned and when I'll update just annoys me. asking for longer chapters doesn't work either. My family comes first. I'll post when I have something. Pissing me off about it nearly had me post with only a paragraph done just to shut people up. My temper lately is as thin as a C*nt hair. My girlfriend is handling my reviews as I don't have the time with family issues. If you don't know those by now (sigh) this note became a rant and I'm sorry. Just be patient.**


End file.
